The Opposing Elements
by BlackTorment
Summary: The weight of the world lay on her shoulders. She was encased in the chains of destiny and wrapped in the string of fate. Katara, Princess of The Firenation, betrayed her nation all for one village... No, for one boy. She gave it all for him, she confronted his father because of what he had done. With the final battle that will determine a Nation's future, Katara must let go.
1. The Golden Eyed Girl, The Blue Eyed Boy

**A: TLA © Bryke**

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**Disclaimer: This has been Beta'd as of 1/07/13 by Tall Chai Latte. Thank you so much for your great work!**

**The Opposing Elements**

**Chapter One****–****A Golden-Eyed Girl and a Blue-Eyed Boy**

Rough breathing escaped the man's throat as he once again tried to attack the girl with quick-moving feet. Her stances were _perfect_. He couldn't find an opening, and no matter what distractions he threw at her, she just wouldn't falter.

A burst of fire erupted from his fist as it hurdled towards the copper-skinned girl. She somersaulted over it, landed, and threw several fireballs at him in different directions to make them harder to dodge. No matter how he tried to copy her tactics, they were always too complicated.

His veins throbbed with frustration as he tried to hit his nation's princess, but she wouldn't stay still. His feet manoeuvred in a half arc, fire trailing after them as she approached him with rapid speed. You'd think she was an airbender with how swift and fast her movements were, but no, she was a pure Firenation-bred Princess with white fire, the hardest of the firebender's techniques to master.

She watched as the guard attempted to block her white fire wall again. The technique he used just put himself in more danger as he sent his own fire wall. It left her an opening to attack, and he didn't even_realize __it__._

_And these are the guards my father is hiring? They could get themselves killed! _A huff escaped the girl as she blocked a fireball with a flick of her wrist. Another fireball attacked her from behind, but she managed to drop to the floor quickly enough to dodge the impending attack. She turned to face another 3 guards taking known firebending stances. Sighing, the golden-eyed princess raised both her arms, bringing up a wave of fire. She pushed her arms outwards and the wall bolted towards the armoured guards.

"Katara!" The baritone of gravel halted the girl's next movements immediately; all the guards straightened up and clenched a fist, placing it against their palm before bowing, signalling the arrival of the Firelord. She huffed before turning to face the 6'5 frame of her father.

"Yes? I was in the middle of training." The Firelord threw a dark look in her direction before scanning the courtyard: scorch marks littered the training grounds and crumbled bits of the buildings surrounding the area had fallen to the stone.

"I can see that, but I need you in the Courtroom." Nodding, Katara turned to the guards and took up another firebending stance, aiming for the individual guard she had originally started out with. "_Now."_Katara faced her father once again, sending him a glare, which he chose to ignore, but it still caused him to shudder inwardly.

"Fine," She walked over to where she had dropped her outer robes, ripping them up from the stone bench, before walking straight past her father, not giving him a glance. He glared at the back of his disrespectful daughter before turning to the guards.

"Back to your posts!"

"Yes Firelord Hakoda." They bowed before scurrying off; the Firelord began tailing his daughter.

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The whole council arose from their seats at the sight of the Firelord and Princess, "Firelord Hakoda, Princess Katara." Katara walked straight past them with a steely expression that rivalled her father's. The council members shivered.

She parted the blaring orange fire before approaching the mats to sit on the throne's left-hand side. She saw her brother Sokka glance at her from the corner of his golden eye. It was a dark look that made him look impassive and simply_evil_. The Firelord soon took his seat between his 14 year old daughter and his 17 year old son.

"Meeting is to proceed." Hakoda growled out, slightly annoyed by his daughter.

A small, chubby man stood from his seat, his black hair glinting in the fire of the Firelord's throne, his hazel eyes glistening sternly. "Firelord, we have two important matters to discuss with you this afternoon. Firstly," He picked up several pieces of parchment, skimming them quickly, "you're to name your heir to the throne because Prince Sokka, albeit an amazing Swordsman, isn't a bender. This will create a problem because the people might begin to rebel against him due to his lack of bending." Hakoda eyed the man curiously, but he didn't let it show. He already knew who he'd pick to take over his throne.

"I will pick Katara." Katara's eyes widened as she glanced at her father, surprise clearly etched onto her face. Sokka however, stood up immediately, growling angrily.

"Why? She's a girl! I am and always will be superior to her!" Sokka howled, glaring intensely at his younger sister that he hated with a passion. Katara reigned in her emotions and put up a stoic mask, glancing at the council. They were shifting in their seats uneasily.

"Very well father. Sokka, you are dismissed." Sokka glared at her,

"You can't dismiss me!"

"I'm father's heir, and the stronger one. Would you like me to show you the way out?" A flame flickered onto her palm, her eyes turning into a molten gold as she sighed, glaring at her brother then the white fire meaningfully. Sokka gave her a dark look before exiting the room with his fists clenched in rage.

"Precede, Admiral Jee." The council member cleared his throat, glancing at Katara who was playing with her white fire, her chin resting in her palm that was leaning on her knee. "Katara." The girl picked her head up, the flame immediately extinguished.

"We have news of the Southern Watertribe." That caught Katara's attention, when she had visited there with her Gran-Gran, she had met a woman there called Ursa; she was such a kind soul. "A waterbender has been found." Katara's eyebrows began to knit in confusion.

"But Azulon wiped them out over 70 years ago." Katara stared at the Admiral.

"Ah yes, Princess, but we can't afford to be wrong so we will check it out."

"I want to go."

"Katara, you are to remain here with me, your lightening training will begin in two days time."

"And when do you set sail?" Katara fixed her gaze on the man; he was shifting from foot-to-foot under the watchful gaze of the most powerful firebender in the room.

"Tomorrow, princess." Katara slumped, her shoulders hunched over as she had a grumpy look on her face. "We will take the ships, Firelord." He nodded.

_Great, when I want to go visit a woman I haven't seen in 9 years, I begin my lightening training. I'd pick the South Pole over that any day._

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"Mother, here's your fish." The black-haired woman glanced up at her scowling 17 year old son as he moved the igloo door flap aside.

"Thank you, honey." Identical blue eyes fixated on the fish as he handed it over to Ursa, who was smiling warmly. "Did you catch enough for the whole village?" Already knowing the answer to the question, she pointed a long, pale finger to the door flap. "Go." He growled, before stomping out of the hut, leaving his mother behind to begin cooking.

"Stupid village. Always relying on me," he grumbled to himself as he waved his hands calmly in front of him, the ice in front of him disappearing, leaving a perfect circle of ice. He felt the waves underneath pull at his inner Chi; his breath appeared in front of him as he breathed out, the mist splashing across his own face as he felt the wind hit him.

It was daily routine; in case they had any unexpected visitors, he'd go to some place isolated from the village to waterbend fish from the ocean and bring it back to the village for cooking. Sighing, he gently raised a sphere of water full of fish out of the sea with one hand and grabbed a thickly woven bag off of his back and fumbled with the string keeping it closed.

Once he opened it, he water bended the sphere into the bag, the water instantly draining and dripping from the bag as he held it up. With a flick of his wrist, the water shot from it and iced over the circle of ocean. His throat closed up as a cough escaped him, the cold air scraping against his warm throat. He began his trek back to the village, and that's when he saw it. "Black snow!"

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Ursa's eyes widened as her tent flap was suddenly ripped away. A big man hauled her out by her arm, dragging her towards a big gathering of blue, white and crimson. She drew in a sharp breath as she saw the ship vessels polluting the air. _Please stay away Zuko, please._With that, she had her arms dragged painfully behind her back and tied up, the rope biting through her winter coat. She was pushed to her knees in front of a small, chubby man with a mop of black hair that had been scooped into a top-knot.

His face held an evil smirk and his eyes were cold. She glanced to her left and right and noticed all the village children and women were tied up and kneeling. Her husband, Ozai, was being restrained by three burly men who then held a knife to his throat. "Ozai!" Ursa screamed, rising to her feet, only to be knocked back down again. The chubby man turned to her with an evil glint in his eye, he approached her and she shrank back. She could hear Ozai's distant calling of her name but she wouldn't dare move.

"You're Chief Ozai's wife, are you not?" She didn't shake her head nor did she nod it. "Of course you are,_Ursa."_He mocked Ozai's futile calling of her name in the background. His fists shot out and clenched around the collar of her winter coat. "Now, Ursa. I heard that your little tribe is hiding a waterbender from me. I want them, now."

Ursa's eyes were fearful as she stared into the cruel eyes of him. Despite being relatively short, he was still taller than Ursa. Her lips sealed into a thin line, trying to gather her emotions. Her fear spiked as he released one hand from her coat, alighting it with a fireball.

"Ursa, no!" Ozai struggled, trying to break free from his confinements. Jee moved the fireball closer to her face, an evil smirk flirting with his eyes.

"Ursa, tell me or I'll kill your whole village, saving you till last. You'll watch as I slaughter your husband, torturing him, burning him till his skin is no more." He whispered the last sentence in her ear, making her shiver. His armour was pressed up hard against her and she felt sick. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to lose her only child. Not Zuko, he meant everything to her.

She spat in his face, "Go to hell."

"Already there, Sweetheart." He whispered darkly, raising his alight fist, but as he was about to smash it into her face, the fire on his hand suddenly extinguished. Her eyes widened as she looked to her left, her eyes more fearful than ever as Zuko stood there, a water sphere hovering dangerously above his raised hand and ice shards hovering in his other. "Found you," His smirk turned into an evil grin as he dropped the woman on the floor.

Ursa cried out, "No Zuko! Run!" Zuko stood there with a revengeful face that promised pain.

"Are you looking for me?" Jee smirked and immediately began running at him with fireballs alight in his hand, shooting them at the waterbender only for them to turn to steam as they made contact with his water spheres.

"Leave my mother alone!" He growled, shooting several ice-daggers at the man.

Jee stopped immediately, burning the ice dagger that had been shot at him. Zuko was confused, but alas, he carried on attacking. The guards began to shoot at him and Jee turned around, making his way back to Ursa. He yanked her from the snowy ground, turned her and planted her back against his armoured chest, holding a fireball to her face.

Zuko soon realized his mistake and stopped fighting. "Now Zuko," Jee sneered, a light chuckle added in with the sound. "If you want your mother to live," he lightly touched her face with a small flame and she screamed blood murder as it penetrated her skin, scorching her pale complexion. Zuko snarled and readied a water whip. "You will come _peacefully,_to the Firenation." Without even thinking, Zuko dropped to his knees and held up his wrists, turning his head away from his village and mother as the guards latched his wrists in tight chains.

"Zuko, no! Don't! Keep fighting! Don't do thi-"

"Shut up bitch!" Jee pushed Ursa to the floor and Ozai began thrashing, trying to reach his wife. It was understandable, but Ozai was abhorred that his son had given up so easily.

"Just leave this village alone, including my mother and its people. You have your last waterbender." Sighing, Zuko was dragged to his feet by his hair. He clenched his teeth, trying to restrain a hiss.

"You have my word, on my honour."

Zuko nodded. He began to walk with the guards towards the vessel as he watched his tribe shrinking behind him, with all of the mournful looks of his people and the painful view of his mother's singed skin, but it could've been worse. He saw the understanding look on his father's face, who silently nodded as the ship's bridge rose from the ground, shutting him away from his homeland that he was sure he would never see again.

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**Thanks to my amazing BETA Tall Chai Latte. **

**Reviews are welcome!**

**BlackTorment**


	2. The Eyes of The Ocean

**A: TLA © Bryke**

**A/N: This chapter has been edited, too. Please review new readers! XD**

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_It's better to keep your mouth shut and give the impression that you're stupid than to open it and remove all doubt._

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_- Rami Belson_

**The Opposing Elements**

**Chapter 2 - The Eyes of t****he Ocean**

She felt the power ripple through her as her left index and middle finger pointed towards the sky the electricity running through her veins shot her adrenaline to high levels, making her concentration falter slightly, but she held on. Her father crouched, his copper palms flat on the pale stone ground as he exhaled heavily, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion.

Katara smirked as she still managed to stand; her knee's slightly wobbly after releasing the lightening into the sky. Hakoda's face turned up at her, she could see anger and frustration burning deeply in his depths, and a sigh escaped her. She didn't like lightening bending, she had started it the day after the vessel had left for the Southern Watertribe and now she was into day six. Controlling the direction.

Her brother hadn't spoken to her since the little argument in the Courtroom, not that she blamed him. He had always been second best in her father's eyes and he hated it, she hated being the heir to the thrown because she didn't want to run a sick nation like her own. She wanted everyone to feel equal and loved, not hated and wary. She hated what Sozin had done to this world, she hated that he had wiped out the Nomads and left the Watertribes to suffer. She hated world conflict. And when she became Firelady, she would change that.

"Katara!" Her father snapped his voice angry as he glared menacingly at her. "Focus!" She hadn't even realized she had begun daydreaming until her father confronted her about it. Suddenly, she found herself winded as her back collided with stone, her eyes widening as the pain shot up her spine until it tore out her throat as a grunt. She looked into the hardened gold eyes of her father as he clamped his forearm down on her windpipe, a smirk flirting with his lips. She attempted to growl as he chuckled darkly at her, putting extra force into blocking her windpipe.

Suddenly, her arm shot out and her nails dug right into his bare rips, the sharp talons implanting into his skin, she dragged them down. A low grunt escaped his throat as blood began spilling down his copper body, landing on her bound chest. He quickly rolled off her, clutching at his side as he sent an icy glare at her. "How dare you!" His free hand was instantly aflame as he rapidly stood up.

"You didn't play by the rules." She said calmly, both her fists burned with embers and his blood began to burn off of her hand. The irony smell making her inwardly gag, she knew he would've killed her, if not, severely injured her. She didn't understand him, he needed her to carry on the lineage of firebenders, yet he was trying to kill her? He bolted towards her, both hands now embered and she dove, slim lining his body with her own as she narrowly missed his furious attack. The flames disappeared from her palms as she used them to cushion her roll, landing in a crouch with her back to him.

She heard his light footsteps bombarding towards her, she pivoted in her crouch, a blade of fire following the swinging foot. The red-hot flames shot towards him at amazing speed but he dodged with a rapid gambol. His lips suddenly pulled back in an angry snarl, noticing her smirk. He felt the blood ripple down his muscles, etching itself into the sculpture of his frame, his sweat mixing with it. He was about to lunge again when-

"Firelord Hakoda, the vessel from the Southern Watertribe has arrived." The Firelord turned to glare at a soldier, but his masked face was bowed, parallel to the floor. He glanced at his daughter, surprised to see her gone.

"Very well. Get me the doctor." The messenger nodded, quickly scurrying off to cater to his Lord's demands.

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Hakoda stood regally, clad in Firelord robes in front of ship's bridge as it began to lower, his daughter and son standing on opposite sides beside him. He was briefly aware of the murderous looks Katara was receiving from her brother, but she seemed unnerved about it. The thunderous sound of metal hitting the dock reverberated throughout the air as Hakoda stared menacingly into the dark depths of the ships entrance, a lone figure, barely noticeable. So when water suddenly engulfed the Firelord, he was stunned into silence. The lone figure jumped out of the shadows and Katara's eyes instantly widened.

Zuko's arms rose immediately as he saw the Firelord, without thinking, he raised his arms and the evil bastard was instantaneously engulfed in water. He kept up the water with one hand as guards at once, started attacking him, fireballs were being thrown left and right as the waterbender stood there. "Stop firing!" A voice floated throughout the air and the fireballs directly stopped. At first, Zuko thought the command was given to him, but when the fireballs stopped, he knew differently. He glanced in the direction of the voice and what he found, utterly surprised him.

He released the Firelord, his body dropping to the floor as he hurled up water and was coughing over-dramatically. Guards and an un-armoured boy rushed towards the man, crouching around him. The girl, she just stood there, staring at him with a gleam in her golden eyes. His blue eyes widened, _she _was the Firenation's princess? His feet spread, his front leg bent sharply at the knee, his back leg straight as he forced water spheres to hover around his form, ready to attack.

And attack he did. Katara was anticipating it, so when he sent furious and sporadic water spheres at her, she threw white fireballs at him, surprised by his swiftness, his tactics astounded her as a sudden wave of water skimmed her flexible form, ice-daggers shooting straight after. She then began to look closer at him, his form was indefinable underneath the parka he wore, but the muscles in his thick sleeves were detectable.

Katara watched as two guards stood and took on firebending stances, about to attack. "Stand down soldiers! This is my fight!" She was impassive with her tone, but her eyes gave her away, the way they were a molten gold basically radiating a different person to who her father and brother were. Zuko began to close in on her as his water spheres automatically turned into slithering whips, nipping at her skin as he got too close. She forced him back with several fireballs and fire daggers, surprised that he could gain distance towards her. Her heels unexpectedly hit a stone step leading into the courtyard and she tripped, her eyes going wide as her back met stone, like with her father earlier.

The soldiers stood frigidly as they watched their princess fall, the waterbender's wrath overpowering her. Their backs were stiff, but they stayed. They knew not to interfere or else Katara would be severely _pissed._ Hakoda was standing next to the line of guards, watching with secret mirth as his daughter's neck was suddenly threatened with an ice dagger.

Zuko glared down at her, her small wrists were held tightly in one of his large hands above her head, the ice dagger he had formulated itching to pierce her copper skin of her trachea. Her golden eyes were wide as he swiftly brought a leg over her ribs, so he was now straddling her ribcage. He exhaled deeply, his breath escaping him as he tried to attain the energy he had lost from the battle, surprised he had managed to go against a firebender. It was his first time against one, hell; it was his first fight period! His eyes remained steely as he stared down into her molten embers. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest as he stayed still, her breath and heartbeat as quick as his own. Her copper cheeks were flushed with a deep crimson, the fight wearing her out. "Who are you?" He spoke quietly, his low voice sent chills up her spine.

He watched as her gaze kept flickering to the left side of his face, before meeting his gaze again. He wasn't stupid, he knew what she was staring at and her eyes softened as she stared at him. An angry snarl ripped from his throat as he pulled her wrists up, bringing her head up in the process, before slamming her back down. Her eyes went wide before the molten began hardening, her mouth opened and suddenly, he jumped back from her attempt of shooting fire into his face. She gambolled backwards, landing in a crouch, facing him. Her crimson skirt, ripped at the edges, split from the sudden moving. Growling, she quickly ripped open the fabric and her legs were instantly free to move.

Water whips emerged from the see behind him and he threw them at her. _This has gone on long enough. _She thought. standing and closing her eyes, she brought her index and middle finger in front of her face, exhaled slowly before opening her eyes, flames licking inside her orbs.

Zuko was surrounded by a white dragon, and all her could see was white fire. It only fuelled his anger, she was playing with him! He attempted to extinguish the flames with water, but as it approached the licking embers, it just dissipated. He growled and tried again, the heat radiating through his parka and making sweat pour through his thick, black hair. "Surrender." he heard her whisper, he could see the shadow of the figure through the flames. "Please." Another whisper, he could here the emotion in her voice.

_What's going on with her? Doesn't she want to kill me? _He was thoroughly confused by her.

"If you don't, I'll be forced to kill you. And I don't want that, Waterbender." She parted the flames, her torn-clothed figure standing in its perimeter, that closing it behind her. "You're the last of the Southern Watertribe, I know someone from the Southern Watertribe, and you're their last hope. Don't put yourself into a death sentence." She whispered, her arms coming around herself as she glanced at him. His head was telling him it was a trick, an _easy _way to get him to surrender. But his gut was saying otherwise.

_She's serious. _She watched him intently, watched as he dropped his water, his knee's buckling beneath him as he fell to the ground on his knees. He held his wrist's up to her; an offering. She nodded and released the fire, chilly air and salt hitting him all at once. The icy temperature of the shackles that suddenly encased his wrists had him looking at them, as if asking them to warm up. He felt hot hands under his shoulders wrenching him upwards, his legs stiff as he was forced to stand.

She noticed that he was actually taller than both guards, which were much taller than her. But then she looked at him, how he was glaring down at the shackles binding his wrists. He was being dragged across the stone of the dock, his boots moaning in protest, but he didn't struggle, didn't attempt to fight. He just stared at her as he was hauled past; watching as she finally disappeared out of sight.

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Katara absent-mindedly traced her finger around the rib of her goblet, staring into space as she sat at the dinner table, oblivious to all of the noblemen's sons' eyeing her. She was bored, "Katara," Her eyes blinked, her gaze switching to her father, his lips were in a tight line.

_As usual. _She thought grimly, sighing. "Yes?" He sent her a dark look and she sat up slowly, making sure her back was as straight as a board. Eventually.

"The Waterbender?" That caught her attention. It had been two days since the fight; the evidence still littered the dock. Scorch marks littered the area. She hadn't seen him. And she wanted to. To make sure he was alright.

"What about him?"

"The fight. He was a master waterbender and even you struggled." Hakoda inwardly took pleasure in hearing the surprised gasps the council made; they were astonished that the undefeated Fire Princess was defeated.

"I suppose." She rubbed her temples, not bothering to cover up her annoyance.

"You are going to talk to him, Katara." Katara frowned and stared at her father, expectation filled his hardened gold gaze, expectation of what, she was unsure.

"Why?" He sent her a smirk, a dark smile following soon after. "You want me to torture him? Why!?" She stood up, the backs of her knee's pushing the chair she had sat on back, with a force, tipping it over. Her clenched fists slammed onto the table, her goblet and her fathers tipping over.

"Because he attacked the _Firelord." _He said it like it was obvious, she was taken aback slightly.

"Yeah, but so did _I_! You didn't have me tortured!" Her eyes filled with a determined fire as she stared her father down, but he remained steely in front of his audience, who were awfully quiet.

"You are my daughter therefore, you can't be punished."

"Doesn't equality make any sense to you?!" She snapped, the flames around the room flaring wildly, turning to a bright white.

"He is a peasant. He doesn't need defending Katara." Everyone in the room was eyeing her expectantly; Sokka had a smirk planted on his face.

"And you're a lowlife! But you don't see me complaining!" She growled, her voice rising in volume so it echoed around the large room. Everyone stared at the Firelord as he arose from his seat, glaring with murderous promise embedded in the solid gold.

"Katara, you are dismissed." She snorted, her arms coming behind her as she yanked the Crowned Princess ornament out of her hair, slamming it down. Her locks fell around her, meeting her hip bone. With speed, she gathered the waterfall and tied it into a low ponytail, hissing as she walked passed every council member or noblemen. The doors slammed with an echoing bang and everyone remained silent. The fires finally died down.

* * *

"I want to see the Waterbender." She growled out, the guards nodded and moved away. She scurried in through the doors that opened up to the cells. A row of bars stretched across each wall, wailing and howling emerging from each side. The heavy robe draped over her shoulders covered the large bag she carried in her hand, effectively hiding away the food she stashed for the prisoners.

She stopped at the first cell and glanced inside, surprised to see the woman holding her baby in her arms, crying to herself. "Hello Ling, how's your baby?" Katara crouched on her knees. Ling sent her a small smile despite her tears. Quickly the woman scrubbed them away; Katara passed her a loaf of bread and a beaker of water. A small bottle of milk following straight after.

"She's doing fine, thanks to you, Katara." The teenage girl smiled to the woman, she shuffled as close as she could, reaching out to brush astray hairs from the older woman's tired face.

"That's good. What have you named her?" Ling smiled again, this time a little wider, gently rocking the baby in her arms.

"I called her Katara." Katara's eyes watered as she looked down at the baby, golden orbs dripping as she beamed.

"Thank you." She whispered, placing a quick kiss on her fingertips and laying them on the babe's forehead. "Goodbye." Ling nodded her tear-stained cheeks red. Katara scuttled to the cell opposite, smiling at the master firebender behind the cage, "Je Je, I have tea," The old man turned to face her, a bright smile on his face, he shuffled over to her, quickly grasping the warm cup in his hands and gulping it down greedily. She handed him a loaf of bread.

"Thank you, Princess Katara." She nodded. She continued down the cells, giving each prisoner their own loaf of bread and beaker of water. She would collect them as she went back. But now, she stood in front of a bolted door, reluctance creeping into her veins as she stared at the fire lock. She exhaled as she pulled the robe of her shoulders, revealing a tighter robe being held together by a golden sash, her bindings underneath. The heavy robe was simply just too hot.

She gently breathed white fire into the funnel, the opaque coils turning until the seal was open. She pushed the heavy door open with a loud screech, the sound echoing throughout the whole prison, but not reaching through the soundproof walls. She didn't understand why her father never had any guards on the inside, especially since his new 'addition'. All Katara saw was darkness, nothing. She couldn't work out any details or shapes, even from the light from the torches outside. She quickly pulled in her robe and dropped the bag on the floor, slamming the door shut, it automatically locking.

She then let the robe slip from her fingers, it landing with a soft thud. She raised her arms and quickly sent fire to torches around the circular room, lighting everything in the enclosed space. She gasped at what she saw.

The Waterbender had his head bowed, his wrists were chained separately to different sides of the room, his knees underneath him, and he looked asleep. Katara's eyes widened as she noticed all of the gashed bleeding from him, his chest was bare and his pale skin glistened in the torch light. Although his upped body was bare, she couldn't care because she was focused on the wounds.

Deep gashes ran along his muscled arms, the muscles were tight and tense underneath his skin, his stomach muscles were covered in blood, Katara didn't know where from, and all he was left in, was khaki pants. Her eyes watered at the sight of him, the strong-willed waterbender that had almost killed her, _could've _killed her, but didn't. She sprinted towards him, skidding on her knee's the rest of the way, her eyes frantic as she checked for a pulse in his neck. _Phew. _His black hair brushed her wrist; it was full of grit and blood, patches of it sticking up here and there. She gently lifted his chin up, surprised that they left his face unharmed. She stared at the scar covering half of his face, instantly curious about how he got it.

Without her even thinking about it, her fingers of her free hand delicately traced the rigid lines of the disfigurement, awestruck to find it quite smooth, but still slightly rough. She traced the outer edges of it, the light pink dusty colour falling prey under her fingertips, then they descended inwards, finally landing in his closed eye, the shade was much darker than the outer ridges, but it was still the same texture. Her hands stilled as she felt him stir, beginning to wake up. "M-mother." He whispered, his eyes opening.

He blinked when he noticed gold. Curious golden eyed stared into his blue ones. His teeth instantaneously bared themselves as he reeled his head back, his scar ripping from her grasp. He growled at her, the sound running up his throat. "I-I'm sorry." Her copper hands shot up, in front of her, trying to calm him down. He sent a dark glare at her, she backed away slightly. "I was curious." She didn't know why she said it, but she thought it was vital. He watched as she sat down again, shuffling closer so his body was in arms reach, their knees so close to touching.

"What do you want, Firebender?" He snarled the word like acid, "Here to torture me? Looks like someone already beat you to the punch, pun intended." He snapped, venom practically dripping in his tone. He began to thrash again, testing his bonds, they were solid.

She watched as he continued to thrash, finally getting tired, she reached forward, grabbing each of his wrists, her arms spreading across his frame and her face becoming a breath away from his own. She was mindful of his cuts and his arm span was wider than hers, by a lot. So she only managed to reach halfway down his forearms. He immediately stopped thrashing, shocked that she was so close to his face.

A blush tainted her cheeks as she looked into his eyes, finally realizing she was straddling his lap. "Um, I-I," She was at a loss for words. She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and beamed at him, "Hi! My names Katara!" Her loud voice bounced off the walls, he winced at the cheeriness in it, albeit the circumstances. "What's your name?"

"Get off me." He said simply, she frowned at him, releasing his forearms, but staying on his lap. "The entire way little girl," He ushered, moving his hips to indicate what he meant. He almost blushed at the movement, he cleared his throat and bucked, sending her off his lap and landing on her back with a painful moan.

"I'm not a _little girl_. I'm fourteen." He snorted.

"Exactly, _little._" She growled at him, standing above him with her hands on her hips.

"I have a complex about my size you know. It's not nice to hurt someone's feelings."

"It's a compliment, given the circumstances," He rattled the chains for emphasis. Her mouth formed into an O shape. She quickly moved to one of his shackled wrists, withdrawing a key from around her neck, he only just noticed it. "H-hey! What are you doing!?" She unlocked the shackle, his wrist dropping like dead-weight to the floor. Quickly, she shuffled to the other one and repeated the action. Both his arms hanging beside him. The chains hit the floor with a resounding clang and she shivered. She dropped to her knees at the side of him, beginning to work out the tenseness in his muscles with warm fingertips. "I repeat: What are you doing? Do you know who I am? I'm your enemy!"

"No you're not, you're my Nations enemy. I don't hate you." She murmured, smiling when she began to feel his muscles relax. She moved to his other arm, repeating the process. "Massage your arms, waterbender." Zuko nodded, not even hesitating to follow her orders. The feeling eventually returned to his arms but they still hurt the bruises and cuts still bleeding from his earlier session with Admiral Zhao.

He watched as Katara moved over to a robe in the corner, heaving it up over her shoulder, bringing a back with her. She dropped the bag at his knees, and then walked around him, draping the large robe over his built frame, giving him warmth. She opened the bag, watching as Zuko pulled the robe closer together, to capture the heat. She smiled at him, but his eyes were wary. She pulled out a beaker and opened it, revealing water.

"You do know I'm a waterbender, right?" She nodded, handing him the cup.

"Drink what you need and then heal your cuts. You can heal, right?" He nodded, quickly accepting the cup. He didn't understand her, first, she asks him to surrender, or else he would've been killed, and now she was helping him gain his strength back? "I have two more beakers in my bag, so just drink all of that and then use the other two to heal." He nodded, gently sipping the water, his stomach and dry mouth gladly accepted the liquid. She sighed and leaned back on her palms, watching him. "So, will you tell me your name?" With the rim of the cup covering his lips, he let a little smile grace them.

"Zuko."

* * *

**Please review! XD**

**BlackTorment**


	3. Yon Rha, The Fool

**A: TLA © Bryke**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, just the plot.**

**A/N: This chapter has been edited. Please review! **

* * *

_There are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened._  
_- Mary Kay Ash_

* * *

**The Opposing Elements**

**Chapter 3 – Yon Rha the Fool**

Katara, again, found herself stuck in a boring War room meeting, discussing strategies over which city in the Earth Kingdom they should take over first. And she was so bored.

"Firelord, this is completely off topic but... What of the Waterbender?" That caught Katara's attention, which she fixated on Yon Rha, she had never been fond of the man, but now, she was ready to zap his head off.

"What of him, Advisor Yon?"

"Yes, what of him?" Katara snapped, glaring holes into the frightened man.

"Well, he-he is taking up the lock-down dungeon and I thought maybe you could-"

Hakoda interrupted, "Put him to death?" He offered, glancing at his daughter.

"Yes,"

"Absolutely not! He hasn't done anything but be a prisoner, he hasn't tried to escape, attack any guards or show disrespect!" She threw a look at her father saying: Agree with me or else. The Firelord transparently gulped, the mantel on his shoulders hiding the gesture.

"I agree with Katara, until he shows any rebellion, he is free to roam in his cell. Not that he can roam." That earned him a few chuckles and a silent snarl from her daughter.

"Now, shall it be Omashu or Ba Sing Se? Because once we have those, the rest of the kingdom will fall pathetically at my feet."

"Good luck with that. Now, I'm hungry. Goodnight gentlemen." With that, Katara stood up, her armour clanging and grinding slightly, she hurried down the small set of steps before walking regally out of the room, making sure to twist her foot on the map were the Firenation Capitol was.

* * *

As Katara jogged past all of the cells, she heard screaming, painful screaming. Her heart quickened and so did her pace because that screaming was coming from Zuko's cell; his door was slightly open as well. She sprinted to the door, pushing it all the way open until it slammed against the wall, echoing throughout the whole prison.

Without even hesitating, her fists became fire as she shot a white hot fireball at each guard, both of them facing her took the impact to the chest, one landing on the left of Zuko, the other on the right, and what she saw, made her breath cut short.

His bare torso was singed, the pale skin that once was, was now just blistered red. His arms were chained above him together, his trousers were gone, leaving him in just under-wrappings, which were charcoaled and quite indecent, but Katara didn't focus on that, instead, she traced all of the scorch marks over his arms and his legs, his knees were scratched like hell, bleeding wounds ran down his arms from his elbows, the skin having a clean slice having been cut through. It made Katara sick. She scraped her boots across the metal floor towards the guard that had landed on the left of Zuko, ragging him up by his collar on his tunic.

"What. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?" Each word was like ice and it scared the man, he was shaking in her hands.

"F-f-follow-ing or-orders your Ma-je-st-sty-sty." His stuttering was all over the place, his eyes flicking around the cell room nervously.

"Orders from whom?" She had her suspicions, but she wanted to be sure. His mouth sealed shut and she raised a flaming fist. "Tell me!" She screamed in his face, bringing the flame so close to his face, it singed his ear slightly. The guard yelped.

"Ad-Advisor... Y-Yon R-Rha, Ma-"

"Spare me." She growled, shoving him on the floor. "Get out of here, both of you, before you end up looking much worse than him!" She pointed back to Zuko, a feral snarl rippling through her clenched teeth. The guards didn't think twice, scurrying out of the cell like mice. "Pathetic." She growled, slamming the door. She rapidly sat down in front of Zuko, looking at his hung head, his hair shielding his face.

"Please, don't let them have hurt your face, Zuko." She whispered, tilting his chin up. She gasped at his wide oceanic eyes, open with shock. His face was fine, despite the scar he had already. She carefully placed his head on her shoulder, wrapping her arms under his armpits and around his back in a hug.

"Thank goodness you're Ok." She whispered into his ear, squeezing the hug slightly, stopping when he groaned. She pulled away, removing the key and standing above him, reaching for the shackles. She felt uncomfortable with her body being so close to Zuko's face despite the predicament. She had removed her armour as soon as she walked into her bedroom, replacing it for a pair of crimson khaki pants and a simple tunic.

She freed his wrists from the cuffs and gently carried them down to his body. "Zuko, I will be right back, I promise. Give me a minute." She pulled the tie out of her hair, quickly grabbing his hair out of his face, surprisingly finding it long enough to put it into a top knot, so she did just that. She sprinted towards the door and opened it, looking around for guards. She spotted one walking past. "Guard," He turned towards her, "Get me two Aloe plants. Now please. And hurry, thank you."

She bowed to him, handing him two gold coins and returned to the room, closing the door. "Zuko," She knelt in front of him, brushing away a strand of hair that was slightly to short for the top knot. "Talk to me." She whispered, bringing his hands into her own and gently massaging them.

"Ka-Ka... Tara." She tipped his chin up, his eyes looking straight into her gold ones. "Hi," He threw her a weak goofy smile.

"Zuko." She sighed, rubbing his scarred cheek with her thumb.

She heard the knock on the door, "Your Majesty," she gently released his chin, letting go of his hand too, before walking to the door, opening it and retrieving the two Aloe plants. She thanked the guard and turned back to Zuko, setting them on one side of her as she knelt once again, in front of him. She snapped a leaf off, squeezing the liquid into her palm, until it covered half of her hand. She scooped it up with two fingers and approached Zuko's chest with it, he hissed when it hit his chest, the coolness against his scorched skin also making it sting a little.

"As soon as you have enough energy, Zuko, you're going to heal yourself, understood?" Her voice carried across the room softly, an edge of firmness engraved in the words spoken however. "What happened? How did rumours come to the Firenation, Zuko?" He remained silent as she continued to work at his chest, scooping up more of the Aloe or squeezing a plant leaf when she ran out. "Why did we have to meet like this?" She whispered, just audible to Zuko despite his proximity.

With a shaky exhale, he weakly lifted his head, staring at her with raging waves burning in his blue eyes, "Katara, what are you doing?" She looked at him, smiling slightly.

"I'm tending to your wounds-"

"You know that's not what I meant. What are you doing down here? Why are you showing compassion towards me despite me being your enemy?" He continued on, "And don't say I'm not your enemy, because I am, the fight proved-"

"Nothing, it proved nothing. You could have killed me, you had the chance. You could have taken me hostage, you could've done _anything_, instead, you let me get back at you and corner you."

"A waterbender against a dock full of Firenation soldiers? I barely had a chance."

Determination flickered in her gold orbs, for what, she didn't know, "You managed to take down the Nation's most powerful firebender." She walked away from Zuko to the bag she always had with her for jail visits, returning with three beakers of water. "Heal your bad wounds, Zuko." She opened the beaker and Zuko's wrist moved automatically, the water in the beaker moving into a thin strip, leaving three quarters of it in the cup.

Katara watched with fascination as Zuko shakily brought his wrist up higher, the water following his movements. He brought it to the slice on his opposite elbow, wincing when the cool water made contact with his burning skin.

"They're monsters." He looked at Katara, surprised that she had spoken. He watched as tears began to well in her eyes, her hands clenching on her legs, looking down at the destructive appendages. "We're monsters." Zuko raised an eyebrow, watching her copper hands turn into firsts, making her knuckles turn pale.

"Katara, you're not a monster-"

"Yes, I am." She shook her head, looking back at him, smiling when the cut on his elbow disappeared. He threw away the bloody water, quickly attaining another small strip. This time, it was slightly thicker and managed to heal the scrapes on his knees, the other slice in his elbow and a pectoral of scorched skin, Katara couldn't have been happier. "Fire is a destructive element." Her mood suddenly did a whole 180 turn. Zuko paused from his healing, concentrating on the girl in front of him.

"All elements cause destruction, Katara." He continued to heal his chest, using the rest if the first cup, both of them remaining silent.

"The Firenation are cold-blooded killers..." Zuko sighed, dropping the water into the gathering puddle. Without even asking, Katara unlatched another beaker and he resumed his task.

"Katara, it's not the Nation that makes the people, it's the people who make the Nation. The Firenation isn't the cause of all the slaughtering of the innocent; it's its people's sick minds." Katara slumped over herself, wrapping her arms around her knees as she brought them in, her chin leaning on her arms. She stared unseeingly at Zuko as he repeated the same process, heal, drop the water, get new water, and heal.

Zuko sighed, dropping the clean water out of his grasp, his eyes switching to the depressed girl in front of him, you could practically see her inner turmoil and it made him uneasy. "You know, my dad is as bad as yours."

She looked up at him with glossy eyes, wiping her nose as it began to run. "He cheated on my mom, two years after I was born, she conceived his child." Katara could see the sadness in his eyes, his slumped shoulders made her empathize him. Away from is home and family, possibly to never see them again, he was probably here to be killed, Katara inwardly cringed. "I had a sister, father named her Azula. We always played together when we were young because my mother said that she didn't like me being so lonely, so locked up. So she let me have my fun."

He turned his face away, staring at the metal walls surrounding him. "It was my twelfth birthday, Azula was 10. Father had took her out into the frosty weather, said it was father-daughter bonding time. I knew better." He stared into Katara's eyes, melting her with his frosty gaze, "I can't explain it but I always knew something was off...about him. So I followed them. I watched in silence, shocked out of my parka, staring as my father drowned my sister, hitting her if she started to struggle, that's when I found out he was a firebender." A gasp escaped Katara's throat at the admission, disgust crossing her features at the man's cold-blooded murder. "He said Azula's mother was a whore on the side that she had threatened to expose his heritage."

Katara frowned, her posture shifting as she crawled towards him, his head was bowed in shame. She watched as he brought a hand to his face, covering the scar, his form visibly shook. "My father isn't my real father, my mother gave birth to me a week after she met Ozai, of course, and I never knew that, I was a baby. But the night he drowned Azula, was the night he told me." He looked up at her; his oceanic eyes were drowning in their own pain, losing breath as he thrashed into himself, like waves. One moment, calm and peaceful, the next, angry and deathly. "He gave me this scar." Katara was stunned into silence, her hand covering her open mouth as she stared: abhorred.

He couldn't look at her, not only did he feel ashamed, but he had just told her his secret, one he had swore to never escape his lips. So he silently began to continue healing the minor wounds covering his body.

Only when he was finished, did Katara finally pack up the beakers and chain him, immediately leaving, all in silence. She wanted to stop his suffering; she wanted to introduce justice to the monster that was Ozai, to finally let his actions be announced public. And she knew just how to do it. She felt disgusted that a killer was living among the tribe; the numbers were scarce as it was. And to actually kill his own child?

* * *

"Sokka," Said boy looked up from sharpening his blade, setting steely gold eyes on her, just like her father's. "I have a proposition for you." He eyed her warily, gently setting down his black-bladed sword. He turned to face her, his armour grinding against the stone as he glared at her, his gaze full of hatred. He suddenly found himself staring at a bowing Katara, her nose touching the floor at his feet. "I will gladly hand over the thrown to you." His eyes widened, his feet retreating slightly at the force of the surprise. "In return for you to let me borrow Appa." His brows furrowed, confusion beginning to litter her face.

"Why would you give up something as big as the thrown, just for a giant ball of fur?"

"Because, I also ask for your secrecy." She sat up. Her flat palms resting on her knees. "I'm going to the Southern Watertribe."

Confusion was suddenly replaced by shock, "Why?" he gave his thoughts a moment to collect themselves, trying to weave them into the same pattern as the facts, only to come up with a disfigured puzzle that made no sense.

"That is not of your concern. But I will be borrowing Appa,"

"How do I know you will keep your word to hand me the thrown?"

"I swear it on my honour. I am a woman, as you said; it is preposterous to let a woman run the Firenation." She smiled at him. "I will be leaving tomorrow night. I will know if you do not keep your word, Sokka. Watch your back." She slapped his back with a 'friendly' gesture, walking straight passed and into the double golden doors filled with intricate golden detail.

* * *

Katara pulled the hood over her face with more force as she continued to follow the figure in front. Said figure was completely clueless to it's stalked that was scoring through the trees. Her foot leaned delicately on a thin branch, the wood creaking under the stressful weight. It snapped as she forcefully pushed off it, leaping into the next tree in front, a set of trees continued, to her advantage, lining the pathway through the forest.

She watched as the lone shadow turned around, his fists lit with flames, his evil hazel eyes scanning the trees and forest with an evil snarl.

* * *

He opened his clenched teeth, letting loose a feral snarl, "Who's there!?" She watched as he growled slightly, cursing to himself for his paranoia, letting the noise go off as a 'wild animal'. She knew he knew it wasn't just an animal though, that he was planning to attack as soon as she moved, and she waited for the right moment to strike. So she moved.

* * *

Her body automatically lunged out of the tree; fists alight with burning white fire, the flames reflecting her anger to the man who had hurt her 'friend'. She punched fireballs in his direction, the man barely dodging as she scaled through the air, her feet delicately landing on the dirt path with an anticipating thud, the man swerving round to face her with fright in his cold eyes. She hissed at him, her teeth nicking her lips as she threatened him with actions. And the battle immediately began.

Yon Rha threw an orange fireball at her, her form gracefully dodging it, setting the tree beside her alight with the destructive element. She didn't care. Steam roused from his nostrils as his annoyance already began to set in, and he'd only threw one fireball! He seethed visibly, his teeth baring with the promise of pain as he hurdled fireballs varying from golf-ball sizes to beach ball ones, all effortlessly being avoided by the princess.

His legs spread beneath him, his left palm faced her, rising in front of him as he punched his other fist with power, this time actually skimming her bare shoulder, momentarily stunning her. She glared at him, the wind beginning to pick up around her as her anger arose, and her fiery white fists seemed to flicker between a violent blue and black, as if they were _dyed._

Her feet separated into a low crouch, one knee close to hitting the floor as her other one stretched to the side, the anger in her eyes making her small figure appear deadly, when in reality, she was.

"Just like a Firekiss Rose flower." Katara's brows furrowed as the man smirked at her, his eyes daring her to make another move. "With an exterior so beautiful, you make the sun seem ugly. But if touched or provoked, you turn into a deadly, morbid organism." His teeth snarled in a feral growl, fireballs and flames suddenly engulfing his body.

She watched with wide eyes as each arm extended into a fire whip, his eyes snapped open; fire was physically dancing in his eyes. His mouth opened, the orifice stuffed full of the smoky element. He lashed out.

Katara didn't see it coming. One minute, she was crouching, the next, she was wrapped in flames that were not her own, burning her skin to the point of pain, bringing agonized screams from her lips as she desperately tried to regain dominance, but the flames ate away her commands, responding to the manipulator. She was thrust into the air in a column of fire, her body arching in pain as her body sky-rocketed way above the high canopy of the forest, the sight evident to those who would watch and notice the orange light. Her body felt numb and limp, yet she could feel every ounce of pain being dished out, smoke erupting from around her as if it was taunting her, making her admit to her defeat.

She felt defeated, she felt...dead. _Is this the end? Will I now join my mother in the after life?_

Suddenly, memories passed before her eyes, sights of warm golden eyes, a genuine smile adorning red-covered lips and black bangs and rivulets of hair hanging around the exceedingly tanned face, her happiness lighting up her face like a child at Christmas. The tall woman was dancing with a chubby child around Firekiss Rose flowers, the vibrant red of the flower contrasting beautifully against the lush green grass, the inner blue of the flower as bright as the red.

_Glistening waters surrounded the chubby child as she happily splashed about, the element was soothing to her, and it made her feel whole. Next, her mother flashed before her eyes, the woman's eyes were wide with fright, her body was being manipulated, her skeleton was being bent at odd angles, hearing the grinding of bones made little Katara cringe, tears already streaming down her face. And then the final sickening scream of her mother indicated that she had taken her final breath._

_Katara was suddenly looking into the murderous blue eyes of a tall man, his frame was buff but in proportion, his smirk was full of deadly promises, his hand was hovering above his head, several ice-daggers posed and waiting for his command, her mother's body lay lifeless beside the man, the corpse bleeding, laying in her own blood. Katara snapped._

Golden eyes popped open, her eyes meandering between the colours of bronze and gold, as if not sure what to be.

Yon Rha watched with mirth as the princess began to grow limp in the column, her body not being able to take it all as he repeatedly scorched her skin, over and over again.

He was shocked to see his fire flicker, the flames twisted, turned, _shaped. _Appearing in front of him was no longer his orange column of flame, but a red dragon, it's details etched perfectly from the fire, Katara surfing atop its head, her arms waving fluently with the fast actions of the dragon. Its body stealthily slithered past the trees; leaving burning wood in its wake, tumbling wood and singed bark lay clustered on the path.

Fire rained down on him, pushing his shaking body to the ground with the force of a hurricane, his nose planted firmly into the dirt. His clothes were torn and burning, his back aching and hurting from the fiery element ripping his skin atop it.

Katara bended the dragon into nothing, standing above the cowering man, her eyes steely as she held a fist of fire so close to his face, the flames licked at his cheeks, making his eyes widen in horror. She felt all the fire surrounding her, the fire burning away the scenery that hid her away from public sight, but it was spreading, so she had little time. Glaring didn't satisfy the princess as she increased the temperature of the flame, making it so it scorched his skin.

"Please! Princess, kill me! I beg for your mercy in the price of my death! I had no intention of rebelling against you. Bu-but may I ask, princess... How did I disrespect-you-you so?" His voice stuttered, his last lines falling to ringing ears.

Her voice was a growl, feral in sound, and just as frightening. "You know exactly what you did, Yon Rha," Her voice finished in a deadly whisper.

"Well, _Princess,_" He sneered the word as if it was venom in his mouth. "I believe you request a re-union with your mother? I will be the one to give it you!" Before he even had a chance to attack, his head instantaneously unlatched form his neck, the body part rolling away, trails of blood leaking out of it. And as if it all happened in a movie, the blood recklessly spurted from his neck, the crimson liquid attacking Katara's form and shocked face, her eyes wide and her mouth agape as she watched in horror, her knee's instantly buckling underneath her, hitting the ground with a thud. And all she heard was the heavy breathing of someone behind a blue mask.

Her pain abruptly returned to her, her body aching and screaming in agony as her exhaustion, the levels of her injuries finally catching up to her, making her black out.

* * *

**Well there you have it folks! Please review! XD**

**BlackTorment**


	4. A Father She Never Knew

**A: TLA © Bryke**

**A/N: This is edited. Please review!**

* * *

_Why does love always feel like a battlefield? - Battlefield - Jordin Sparks_

* * *

**The Opposing Elements**

**Chapter 4 – A Father She Never Knew**

Her throat burned with a passion, her chest aching with unrelieved exhaustion, her wrists were throbbing, from what, she didn't know, she couldn't see, couldn't hear, and couldn't speak. She attempted to move any of her limbs; none of them responded. It was as if her nerves had all been cut out of her body, partly left to be able to make her feel pain. _Oh Agni, it hurt__s... _Silent tears streamed down her face, well, in which she hoped was silent.

She couldn't bare the injuries she had, nor could she tolerate the memories. _Yon Rha, his head had... Been severed from his neck. Before that, the pain of the column of fire, th__e blue mask. It moved like a spirit. _Her thoughts were instantaneously cut off as her body grew chilly, licking away at her heat and devouring it, leaving her cold, not only on the outside, but internally, as well.

She forced her lips to move, her mouth desert dry, desperate for a drink. Her brain felt numb, but she managed to open her eyes, that simple task exhausted her to no end. What she found, however, surprised her, in the negative fashion. She didn't expect to find steel bars standing in front of her, her head tilting up to look at the glaring figure above her, said figure's fists were tightly clenched, anger leaking out of his every pore. She willed her lips to move more, making them mouth incoherent words, syllables and sentences, but none of it came out.

The burning fire of her father's eyes didn't do anything to her, not like it did to everyone else, it made her want to stand taller than him, to bring the world out of the War his grandfather had created. It had been going on for 99 years now, and she had finally had enough. With all the strength she could muster, she stood, her face showing no appearance of pain as she steeled her resolve, matching her fathers gaze with an icy one of her own, even deadlier than his. But he wouldn't back down, he had the advantage, he was out of prison.

"Why am I in here?" Her voice was raspy, unused and her throat sore from the gravel-like texture forcing it's way up through her trachea. The look of her father's didn't waver as he continued to glare at her, but she knew she had him, the sweat on his brow glistening in the torchlight being her only indication.

"Stop playing dumb, you mindless bitch!" Katara reared back in shock, her hand coming up to her mouth, covering it.

"Dad-"

"Not only did you brutally murder my Admiral, but you helped the prisoner escape! Your crimes are punishable by death!" Katara couldn't speak, the lump in her throat had a grown one size to large, and she couldn't swallow it down, but she forced her voice, she had to defend herself!

"Dad, I-I didn't kill Yon Rha, he-"

"I know you've been helping out the prisoners. Especially him, Sumi, was it?"

"Zuko,"

"See? You've been giving him water, letting him heal himself, you let him escape, tell me, Katara. Has he gone back to his tribe? Back to live among the peasants? Where his scarred face belongs?" That time, Katara stood up and was instantly in her father's face, her hands clutching the bars tightly, which were glowing a faint red from the heat of her palms.

"You don't know him! He was tortured for no reason! I didn't kill Yon Rha; I didn't let Zuko out or help him escape either!"

"Lies,"

"It's just like you." Hakoda looked at his daughter, his brows furrowing.

"You didn't show mom mercy, either."

"How dare you!" Katara was suddenly thrown back by a fireball, her back hitting the ground. She clutched at her stomach, the red material of her tunic burnt, showing her mocha skin beneath, reddened by the flames. Tears sprung to her eyes as she choked on her own saliva, her head turning to face her father, he had an angry look plastered on his face.

"See?" She mocked him, "Mom tried to leave you, you killed her. You kill everyone who doesn't bend to your will; you hurt anyone who makes a 'wrong' decision. You have no honour, striking me when my Chi has been blocked by Suki," But despite her lack of firebending, at least Suki had been kind enough to let her keep her internal heating.

"You cannot speak of honour, Katara." It was the first time that Hakoda had ever muttered her name without disdain, hatred or anger. Despite her being the Crowned Princess and him being proud of her, that didn't mean he loved her. No, quite the opposite.

"I can, because I didn't kill your Admiral, he had his justice served. He was decapitated, but not by me. He nearly killed me; I was nearly burnt to a crisp."

"You look fine,"

"It's true, though. I don't know where all my burns have gone. But I guess this adds to the collection of scars, huh." She muttered, meaning her stomach.

"How do you not fear me even after I strike against you?" Katara looked up into his eyes, surprised by his question. It seemed that the mood had done a whole 180.

"Because you're a coward." She watched as he bristled. "You used mom, used her for your own selfish purposes, so you could keep the Nation out of Hakimi's reach. You didn't want your sister to drag the nation down until it was in the dirt. But she wouldn't have done that, she would've brought peace."

"Peace is for cowards."

"No, it's not. It shows that you can make a change, that you are willing to strengthen your country by bonding with the other elements."

"I will make a change. I will continue this war until the Fire Nation rules the world."

"Mom wouldn't have wanted that, but you don't care, because you killed her." With that, she turned her back on her father, disgraced to even call him such a title.

She heard the shuffling of fabric, the clanging of something falling on the floor, and then the screech of the metal door outside the bars. "Don't ever say I didn't love your mother again." After that, it was silent.

Katara turned in the direction of metal, eyeing the small trinket carefully. She scurried over it, picked it up and examined it, the pain in her abdomen barely noticeable, now. The bracelet was solid gold, beads of white, black and gold covering a thin string. The Firenation insignia was at the base of it, made of wood, and then tiny engravings on the beads caught her eye. "You're the light, Kya." Katara's eyes began watering as she glanced at the door, heartache burying itself deep inside of her. "Daddy,"

* * *

"My Lord, what will we do with your daughter?" Advisor Chan pointed out, abruptly turning to face the metal doors as they opened, revealing the princess, armoured up and crowned. She came and knelt in front of her father, her head bowed. Hakoda was confused; she had never been so formal.

"Father, I hereby hand my crown over to Sokka, he is to be crowned Fire Lord." Hakoda's eyes widened as he turned to face Sokka, he shrugged, a smug look planted on his face. Gasps were heard all around; all eyes were on the princess.

"Katara,"

"Father, I don't want to run countries like the Firenation, I don't want to be involved in years of violence, or prejudice and of homicide. I don't want to run such a despicable race." And that was the cherry on the top. With that, Katara turned around, beginning to walk towards the doors.

"I challenge you to an Agni Kai!" Katara froze her handle on the door handle. She turned her head to face her father, he looked frantic and anxious.

"There's no conflict, no debate between us. My answer is set in stone. There's no argument about it. So, no thanks." With that, she turned the knob and exited, leaving a riled-up Fire Lord and a silently snickering Sokka in her wake.

* * *

"_You helped the prisoner escape!" _Her father's words echoed around in her head as she ran with her cloak covering her head, her feet were padding through the forest, her eyes keeping a sharp look-out for any danger. She didn't know what to think, _where are you, Zuko? Who killed Yon Rha? _Her confusion halted her in her steps, her face looking towards the dusty ground. Then she heard shouting in the background. She wasn't far from the palace, and they were shouting loud enough.

"_Board__ the ships and head to the Watertribes! We need to find him!" _Katara's eyes widened in horror, they were going to the Watertribes to look for Zuko! But why? He was _one _bender!

_They're going to kill him! _With that, Katara began sprinting towards the docks as fast as her legs could carry her, her cloak whispering behind her.

* * *

She had boarded Sokka's boat in three minutes flat, immediately steering it out of the dock, surprised that no-one tried to stop her. "Sokka, he... Made sure that I could get there." She smiled, through year after year of him hating her, she would've thought he had just lent her the boat, not actually sort everything out. "As long as I get a head start to the Tribes, I can save them."

She had been in prison for the total of a week, Hakoda had visited her the day after she was imprisoned and Zuko had escaped, so he had a good week ahead of them, if he was even heading to the Tribes. _Please be at the Southern Watertribe._ And she set sail into the open sea.

* * *

She forced her eyelids open, the sound of strangled metal mangling in her ship. Quickly, she sprung to her feet and was out the door, high alert for any suspicious activity. Well, being alone on a ship and having a door mangled into a heap was pretty suspicious.

Giggling could be heard, a faint sound of childishness and darkness. It was chilling. "Firebender, firebender, look around, firebender, firebender, taste the ground!" She was suddenly encased in metal, her body covered in a coat of solid, metallic material.

She couldn't move, her face was uncovered, so she was surprised to see a young boy, about the age of twelve, swirling little balls of metal in his hand. "Hello!" He was awfully cheery, "My names Aang!" He was suddenly slapped up the side of his head by a short girl; she was dressed in orange clothes, a snort on her face.

"Aang! You're not supposed to tell the enemy your name!"

"But Toooph!" He whined, a childlike look appearing on his face. His milky eyes were blank but his lips were in a grin, one that stretched across his face.

"Why haven't you got any soldiers on your ship?" Talk about straight to the point.

"I'm not going hurt you, if that's what you're thinking. I might be Firenation, but I'm not a bastard who goes round hurting everyone in their path."

"Didn't answer my question, princess." Katara was confused by the black-haired girl's correct assumption.

"How did you-"

"I kind of moulded your crown into the metal," Aang said, a blush splashing across his face. Katara didn't look too happy about that.

"I was supposed to give that to my brother!" She heard snickering coming from Toph, who was just standing there.

"Well, your harmless, Aang. Let her go." Immediately, the metal was gone, Katara felt like she could _breathe _again, too.

She rolled her neck, hearing it pop; she cringed, rubbing the sore muscles. Trying to work the strain out of them. She glanced at Toph, the grey-eyed woman was picking at her nails, checking them every once in a while, she examined her, taking in her orange robes, her black hair that was pulled behind a head-band and she wore pointy shoes. "Paint a picture, it'll last longer," Katara's eyes widened at the bluntness in the girl's voice, not used to being spoken to without fear in the speaker's tone. "So, Sweetness, where are you headed?"

Katara glanced at the two kids, eyeing them suspiciously. "That's none of your business." Toph snorted, stomping over to Katara's bed inside her open bedroom door, quickly jumping on it and lying down, as if she owned the place. "Why are you on my ship?" Her eyebrow twitched slightly, Toph was wiping her dirty shoes on her cover!

"None of your business," Aang unexpectedly popped up, grinning like a Cheshire-dog, his milky eyes staring just past her, at what, she didn't know.

"You're going to the Southern Watertribe!" He jumped up and down, clapping his hands together excitedly.

"H-how did you know?!" Toph smirked.

"Well, Sweetness, Aang may be blind, but he has a great sense of direction, it's spooky, really. He knows which way is North, which way is South, yadda yadda." Toph waved herself off, swinging her legs over the bed to stand up. "When I was in the Firenation, I heard you had helped the Waterbender escape," Gold eyes widening, Katara looked up, an immediate glare fixated on her face.

"I didn't, I was badly burnt, Yon Rha, my father's advisor, he had sent soldiers after Zuko to hurt him, they did, and I helped him heal. I was following Yon Rha because I was suspicious of him, then we fought, I nearly died and he was decapitated right in front of me. Next thing I know, I'm in a prison, accused of helping the prisoner escape and killing my father's advisor."

Toph's voice suddenly turned cold, her words rasping out of her throat, "Seems we're both having parent problems."

"You're a runaway," It wasn't a question; Katara already had her answer when the silence screamed it at her. "Where are you from?"

"I am a runaway, but not from my parents, as if they're doing my head in, it's because they're dead."

"Oh," _Geez, well done Katara, talk about putting your own foot in your mouth._

"I'm also from the Air Nomads, I'm an airbender." Wide golden irises stared at the small girl, astonishment crossing her features.

"But they were all wiped out!"

"Some escaped to Ba Sing Se," Toph seemed to stay silent for a minute after that, until she spoke again, "So, how long until we reach the South Pole?"

"Another 9 days."

"Oh goody,"

* * *

**XD**

**BlackTorment**


	5. I Am The Insurgent

**A: TLA © Bryke**

**A/N: This chapter has been edited and now I'm in the process of writing up chapter 11! That chapter is probably going to be longer than most of the previous ones because I haven't got where I wanted in it and it's already 3,000+ words long. WOo! 13/01/13**

* * *

_No one will win the battle of the sexes; there is too much fraternizing with the enemy._  
_- Henry Kissinger_

* * *

**The Opposing Elements**

**Chapter Five - I am the Insurgent**

The water was eerily still, the sloshing of waves hitting against the ships side barely registering to the people aboard, because they were sleeping. Soft snores echoed throughout the vessel as wind seeped through the open door, but as it whistled to the desk; it wrapped around a still form, one that was gazing across the water, the chilly temperatures seeping into her skin, a stuttering sigh escaping her lips. Thoughts were swarming around her head like the mantle of the earth's core, her brains mulling over the death of Yon Rha and the blue mask; the one she had named the Blue Spirit.

She clutched the robe that billowed over her small form tighter, attempting to try and keep the heat in, to keep the cold away from her, because it brought back memories of _him. _She didn't know what happened in the cells, but something changed. _She _changed. Her palms found her eyes as she scrubbed away the rawness from being tired. Whispering words flowed through her ears, the passed couple of weeks filtered behind her eyes, flashbacks, memories... Her father. _"Don't ever say I didn't love your mother again." _The words were a blank page to her; pointless.

_If he loved her, he wouldn't have killed her. _Tears welled in her eyes as sobs broke passed her lips, a lump in her throat clogging up her trachea, the sounds of her own pitiful crying sounding in her own ears.

A small hand wrapped itself around her shoulder, causing her to stand stiff straight as her sobs stopped. She turned her neck to face the short airbender, a sad smile gracing her lips. "Morning, Sweetness." Katara nodded, turning back out to the sea, watching as ice-bergs began to make themselves known. "We'll find him," Surprised golden irises turned on the grey-eyed airbender, confusion filling them a second later. "Zuko, the '_prisoner that escaped!' _We'll find him, before your father does." The brown-haired princess nodded.

"I just want to escape, Toph."

* * *

"The ice-burgs! We made it!" That was supposed to be reassuring, it would have been, had not several fireballs suddenly stormed into the back of their ship, jolting it further into the ice-bank, scraping melodically against the ship's metal.

A scream echoed throughout the ship, one that sounded a lot like Katara's. Then she realized she was in fact, screaming. Without a second thought, Katara jumped over the deck's railing, landing with a loud thud on the floor, where she instinctively rolled into a crouch to break the impact of the drop. Her chest heaved as the ice and snow bit into her skin, soaking through the metal of her shin pads and freezing her calves; she immediately stood up, pivoting on her left foot to face the oncoming Firenation troops.

Sporadically, she was flanked by Toph and Aang, their stances poised and ready to strike at the slightest of movement. "My, my. What would your father think if he saw you here? Protecting the prisoner, I assume?"

"You always did make an ass out of yourself, Chen." With blonde hair scraped to the back of his skull and fiery golden eyes staring into her own, she raised her arms, palms flat and waiting for the attack she knew she would receive.

"The Firelord will know he has an insurgent for a _d__aughter._"

A smirk flirted with her lips, "You sound as if you're sure you're going to make it back," Instead of waiting for the first attack, Katara pounced. Her fists were alight with anger, flames licking at her otherwise delicate palms, fireball after fireball shooting from her hands. She never noticed the way Firenation troops surrounded them, encasing them in a circle of evil, all eyes focusing on the battle for survival in the middle. "If you die, I will send your troops back to the Firenation! I'll dump you in the ocean myself, you scum!" Her eyes were wide, her arms arching over her head, all her power that she bottled coming out into her fists. If the Firenation stormed the village, they would end up dead.

The thought momentarily distracted Katara; Chen was able to scorch her forearm. Her eyes briefly scanned around quickly, noticing another batch of soldiers heading towards the small village. "Toph, Aang! The village!" The airbender instantly began pulling the earthbender in the direction of said place, already bending soldiers out of the way in a frantic hurry. Another burn appeared on her arm.

"Distracted, Katara?" Her head spun around to face him, her eyes narrowing as she calmly brought in her spread legs and arms, standing as still as a statue. Her fire extinguished before reaching her sides, her eyes closing in complete peace. Chen didn't know what to do; he wasn't sure what she was _doing. _He was terrified of her, the sweat lining his brow a clear indication of that; and all she had done was stand _still_. "It's the fear of the Unknown," It was a whisper, only he himself could hear it.

Unexpectedly, golden eyes snapped open, an intense hatred burned deep inside. "You Firenation scum, you shouldn't be here!"

"Such a paradox. Because you're Royal 'Firenation scum'." Her anger seeped out of her every pore, fire licking across her mocha skin, her chest inhaling rapidly, the blatant movement of her diaphragm was swift and quick. And in the blink of an eye, all hell broke loose.

Instantaneously, Katara had a panoramic view of her opponents, all of them charging at once, closing her into a sea of bodies. However, all of them were stepping back with erratic heartbeats. Lightening twisted from her fingers as she glared at Chen, the blades of blue switching from her left-to-right and back again, teasing him, taunting. Her eyes were locked with his, the cold air that seemed to surround them deteriorated into nothing, as if nothing _existed _but Chen and Katara, because, if he didn't think like that, he was going to die.

Katara was focused; she had her whole attention on Chen, her heart was throbbing in her chest as she continued to bend the lightening around her fingers, Goosebumps rising on her skin. So when she was unpredictably struck in the back, she released lightening at the ice underneath her, it cracking on impact. Water rose, splashing around her as she dropped into the hole, water engulfing her throat and endangering her lungs.

She didn't know what she could do, but the sounds of war above the ice reverberated through the water, echoing in soundless ears.

* * *

**This chapter is really short to be honest. It's been edited so it sounds better now! XD**

**BlackTorment**


	6. The Truth in the Eyes of Water

**A: TLA © Bryke**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters but the plot is mine... BOOYAH!**

**A/N: I know my last chapter wasn't as long as my previous ones and that I've taken so long to update. And I'm really sorry. My life has been busy, busy, and busy! I have school, a load of Homework, urgh, and activities. Also, I'm in year 9, so we get a lot of homework to get us ready for the Mock Exams in May next year.**

**A/N: This has been updated. 13/01/13**

* * *

_The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they are okay, then it's you._  
_- Rita Mae Brown_

* * *

**The Opposing Elements**

**Chapter 6 – The Truth in the Eyes of Water**

It was ironic. How she loved water so much she was drowning in it, her lungs being penetrated with the liquid in litres. Oxygen escaping her lips as she silently sank her limbs unable to move because of the frosty temperatures seeped into her skin. Her eyes stayed open, watching with stinging eyes as the sky through the hole she had created drifted away. She couldn't feel anything; it felt foreign but welcomed to be in her opposite element, it was a peaceful element. _Zu__ko must love being a waterbender..._

Instantaneously, the water started meandering around her body, wrapping around her like a silk scarf, running across her skin and tightening around her torso. She was surprised when it pulled her up, her clothes were no longer dragging her down like she thought they would, the water was pulling her up...

* * *

Breath escaped her as she squinted into the white sky, her back arching as she tried to desperately take in as much oxygen that was possible. Begrudgingly, she rolled to her side, her mocha arms coming to cup her stomach, a breathless moan rattled out of her, reverberating throughout the battlefield.

In mere seconds, minutes... whatever... The ice was painted red with blood, misshaped icicles and trenches, bunkers and piles of snow was everywhere, all with curved corners and dripping water, the result of fire and water mixing. In the centre of everything, of all the genocide and blood-shed, there he was.

* * *

His parka was moving with great speed as he manoeuvred from attacks, blocked fireballs and encased firebenders, all the wile, protecting his village. With rippling muscles - despite the thick parka – and a sweaty face, there he stood. Fists were drenched in water, eyes wide and staring at her, his eyebrows beginning to furrow, all in a mere second, he had asked her. _'What are you doing here?' _Firebenders were advancing on him, fists alight with a threat of death should he fall by their hands.

One look at his blue orbs made her realize that she was in the right place, and that she needed to do something. With a mighty call, her fists grew ablaze like a light switch, her slopping feet sliding against the ice as she ran towards the fight, yet, not once did she fall. If she fell, her life would be in danger, the villagers' lives would be in danger, and so would Zuko's.

* * *

Her feet ascended as a soldier made for a tackle; she simply jumped over, not allowing him to touch ice as she bathed the ice in fire, the firebender falling straight into it. Golden eyes blazed with the fire that the body possessed. Two identical helmets made a run for her, multitudinous fireballs were sent at her, scattering around her body as she countered each one. Words flew from her lips as everything seemed to happen in slow motion, firebenders seemed to turn to face her instead of Zuko, now. She briefly slipped, her flaming fists brought to her face; she was threatening them.

It all appeared like a movie, everything was calm, silent. Almost immediately, everything set off again, multiple soldiers fawning for a chance to attack her, each being taken down by her own hand, falling into the water below as ice continued to melt. Even as she covered ground, even as her body heated to extreme temperatures, even if the ground beneath her feet was completely aimed at, it stayed solid.

But as she was continually being protected from the icy depths below, Zuko left himself open, vulnerable and worth targeting. She never saw it coming, he didn't either... "Zuko! NO!" Despite being surrounded by blood, his seemed to bleed the brightest.

* * *

He couldn't speak; the gurgling sound of his own heart pounding seemed to have closed up his throat, the sound of the organ pounding in his ears, resounding throughout his whole body. Then the pain came. A scream tore from his dry throat as he collapsed to the floor, clutching at the hole bleeding in his stomach, his vision turning blotchy as white and black spots appeared, nausea hitting him like the water he manipulated.

His knees buckled beneath him, his hands shakily supporting his face from being buried in the snow, the crystalline white turning into a watery pink, the liquid leaking through his fingers.

A far away scream ruptured from a high voice; one that gave him a headache, but it felt familiar... _sounded familiar. _But he gave into the darkness that promised unconditional pain release.

She suddenly didn't care that she was walking on thin ice – literally- no, she wanted to get to him, he'd sacrificed his attention and his reluctance for her had caused his fall. Her red fists flickered between white and the orange flames, the embers overflowing from her fists like her anger, spurting from her fingers like never-ending nails, curling with fury at the ends.

* * *

With fire-tipped fingers, she stood from the couch she had unintentionally curled into, spreading her fingers to the side of her, the fire in her heart rivalling the exploding flames licking at her palms.

Each soldier stared in amazement, the minor injuries she had obtained from her fights weren't even affecting her, not now that she had lost the person she had tried to protect. Milliseconds past and she was on the first soldier, her fire-claws ripping into the metal armour like uncontrollable rage, her hands devouring the metal around his stomach, before she slashed at the red cloth on the area. She enclosed her palm in fire, laying it straight out on him, he was writhing beneath her, his fists curling and thrashing in her brown locks as she burned him, a permanent mark that had been bestowed upon him. Conveniently, he was the soldier that had attacked Zuko. But it wasn't just any soldier, it was Admiral Chen.

"Feel the pain, Chen! FEEL IT!" She screamed in his face, her form crouched over his as she dragged her fingernails across his scorched flesh, an agonizing scream tearing from his throat as his eyes spilled with tears, blood and fire melted the snow around them, the pure heat emanating from her melted the underneath their bodies. The cracking underneath them caught Katara's attention and she rolled off of him, obtaining safety as she bolted for Zuko's side.

A fireball flew out of no-where, a sheet of metal obscuring a view a second later. She covered Zuko's body with her own, nodding at Aang as he kept the sheet of metal he had ripped off of their boat in front of their bodies. The soldiers' boat probably had more supplies, anyway.

* * *

Tears blurred her vision as she clotted the bleeding with her own hands, desperation coursing through her veins for the man underneath her, his skin was turning a much chalkier tone than it already was, his lips turning blue from the exposed wound that sent shivers up Katara's body just by looking at it. His eyes tried to remain open, she could tell from the way they kept drifting closed, only to pop open a moment later; he was doing it for her.

_It's painful... _"Ka-Tara..." Her eyes looked down at him, her eyes full of tears, the embers of fire that were burning in her eyes extinguished in one look at his painful features. "I'm... Sorry," she hushed him, wanting him to keep the breath in his body. She rubbed warm palms over his waxy skin, trying to keep the warmth on the inside of him.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Zuko. It's my fault. You protected me," she smiled at him, it was eerie, it lacked any happiness; it was just right for the situation.

"Yo-Yon Rha, too." The 'Rha' came out as a rawr instead of the intended pronunciation, but that didn't stop the shock from bursting inside her.

"You mean you were the one who-" He was going to nod, but he didn't have the strength, so it was a slight incline of his head, instead. As much as she wanted to hate him for it, for taking his life, she couldn't. She was about to be killed by Yon Rha, even if she had the upper-hand, she would've died from blood loss. "Oh Zuko," a sad smile graced his features, his eyes closing. "Zuko, I'm going to stop the bleeding, okay?" His eyes opened to half-slits, an indication that he was losing more blood, his brain not getting enough oxygen.

"It's going to hurt," she pulled out the small knife she always carried around in her boat, surprised to actually see it had stayed in it's hiding place. With a small intake of breath, she cut open his parka and the layers he wore beneath, revealing what used to be white and pale, like his face. A tearing sound reiterated in her own ears as she widened the bare patch, intending to burn his skin but not set his clothes alight.

"Three," her hands instantaneously grew alight, "two," Katara took a deep breath, blowing her loose bangs from her face, her golden eyes travelled across his body, the drenched fabric she had torn, the pain in his face, the torture of his face... "One!" She pushed them down onto his stomach, and he screamed bloody murder.

The pain he had felt before was heaven compared to the new one; the reason being that he was close to peace, but now... The pain amplified. He couldn't breathe; the oxygen had lodged in his throat, just like his scream. His eyes attempted to roll into the back of his head, the ruinous agony multiplied as Katara begged him to stay awake, this time, and it was the throbbing in his heart. He tried to take in raspy breaths; the lump in his throat wouldn't let him.

She had stopped the bleeding, his pain didn't stop though. It echoed in her ears... _That scream... I thought... It sounded like I__ had did it myself, I felt as if I was the one to kill him... _Tears dripped from her face as she hunched over his form, her hands on either side of his head as she stared meaningfully into his eyes, pleading him to stay awake. _'Don't leave me?' _The silent question was answered with a grunt as he lifted up his arm slightly, his wrist cramping, releasing and circling...? "You're water bending..." She realized he wanted to heal himself, internally.

With a curious gaze, she watched as water travelled up his body, blood picking up with it and making it a pinky tint, then it soaked through his skin and into his wound. The area glowed with a bright blue through his skin, it was like a shadow puppet show, you could _see _what was going on inside. "You can bend blood...?" Another grunt showed his acknowledgement to the question.

Toph looked at the hunched over couple with a sad eye, a smirk flirting with her lips a second later as she took _another _soldier down. "Seriously?! Can't I have a _challenge_?!" A taunt was the best type of provocation. With a spin of her staff, three faceless soldiers were knocked back into the ice, the slippery sheet cracking with the added strain. Aang was doing quite well, too. Even though he wasn't a waterbender and he was surviving on bending metal, he was being fairly _creative._

Her voice stuttered as she attempted the two-syllable name, "Zu...Zu-ko?" He grinned at her, despite his eyes being closed and his form heaving with exhaustion, he was very much alive. Katara squealed in delight, wrapping her arms around his neck awkwardly. Inhaling the waxy smell of his skin, she pulled away, sticking her tongue out. "I think Aang managed to warn the villagers, I think Toph protected them too," she gestured to the floating metal in front of them, "courtesy of Aang." A broken chuckle escaped his lips, a smile forming on them a moment later.

Happy tears dribbled from her eyes as she tried to help him stand, "Lean on me," with that confirmation, he did just that. She managed to get him up easier.

"Thank you, Katara." Although his voice was deeper than usual, even though his eyes were more tired than the energetic blue she had usually seen when he was in the cell, even though she hadn't known him that long, she was glad she sacrificed her crown for him. Is asked why, she wouldn't be able to give you a definite answer...yet.

* * *

"WHERE IS SHE?!" The frenzied voice of the Firelord ricocheted off the walls of the palace, the walls shrinking back in fear, the servants cowering even though he wasn't in the same room and Sokka, standing at the other end of the conversation, chills shooting up his spine. The armoured boy glared at his father, the man's face was ruddy with anger, and fists alight with flickering blue-green fire, boots stomping over the same course repeatedly.

"Katara..." Sokka's voice held an aura of fondness, one he had been too scared to show because his sister had always been the one to get everything... But when he learned just how much she hated being on the receiving end, he finally doused that hatred. "Katara's finally followed her own path; she's made the right choice."

_'Make sure you protect your sister with everything you have, Sokka. Make sure she isn't consumed in the element she's encased in. Make sure she follows her own path; make sure she does the greater good. Make sure you don't smother her, make her a strong person.'_

_Mom, Katara has finally __become__ strong enough to walk her own trail. My work is finished. Katara, I'm coming to find you, little Sis._

* * *

**Edited. Review please, new readers! :3**

**BlackTorment**


	7. Over-exhaustion and Truthful Lies

**A: TLA © Bryke**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. The plot is mine, though.**

**A/N: Edited. New readers, please review! :3 13/01/13**

* * *

_I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally._  
_- W. C. Fields_

* * *

**The Opposing Elements**

**Chapter 7 – Over-exhaustion and Truthful Lies**

"He's planning on attacking," the words fell from her lips, her brown curls swirled in the icy wind as she stared across the ocean, the sun setting into the water, sun rays littered across the snow, not even melting it.

"Well, we can't do anything about that, Sugarqueen; we have to wait until he strikes us first."+

"He won't," Katara's golden gaze turned on Toph, her fists tight; her knuckles were turning white. "He's cunning, he's the _Firelord _Toph, and he doesn't get his hands dirty unless absolutely necessary." A sigh escaped Toph's lips, the youngster began running her hands up and down her bare arms. Almost immediately, Katara threw her cloak over the girl, icy temperatures didn't bother her any more. Toph snorted, pulling the cloak closer.

"I think he's got his hands dirty enough in the past, Katara." But the girl didn't hear it, because she was already on the other side of the deck of the ship.

* * *

A sigh passed her lips, her mocha hands pushed through her hair, her eyes scanning the dark, narrow hall-ways of the ship, the air felt compressed; it felt constricting, just like metal. She stood outside his door, her hand ready to knock, ready to confront him but the action was cut short as the door was threw open, Zuko appearing, hanging onto the door-frame, a wry smile playing on his lips. "It's rude to spy on someone," Katara smirked, her earlier depression gone.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Zuko, my most humble of apologies." The smile vanished off of his face; his eyes were searching her face.

He shifted on his side; a look of pain briefly crossed his face, "why am I on the ship?" Katara rolled her eyes, watching as he tried to discreetly hide the pain.

"As much as I love your tribe, I'm not putting you out there until you're fully healed, I don't want my friend to freeze."

Zuko looked at her with a strange expression; his cheeks were a slight ruddy colour, "Friend...?" Katara nodded, a bright smile appeared on her face, her eyes closing in happiness, and Zuko was surprised to see such a smile aimed at him. "I don't understand you, Katara." She winked at him, her smile still in place.

"It's because I'm Firenation, Zuko. I have no mercy, I show no compassion and the only emotion I do show is anger, simple." He rolled his eyes, watching as she walked straight passed him, strolling into his room as if it's her own.

"Yeah, you can come in," she turned to face him, sticking her tongue out.

"Thanks, Zuko." Zuko stumbled towards the velvet chair beside his bed, trying to look as regal ass possible around Katara, trying not to show any sign of his pain. "Suck it up, Zuko. I'll go get you some water so you can heal some more, okay? I know you want to see your mom." Zuko sighed, slumping into the chair, throwing her a grateful smile, it was a small one however, and it was noticeable.

Katara returned four minutes later with two goblets of water, at the minute, she was trying to keep herself balanced, her knees were shaky and she felt nauseated, dizzy and cold.

* * *

The sudden clashing of metal hitting metal echoed around his room and Zuko jumped up, looking straight at Katara, watching as she was slumped against the door frame, a trail of blood trailing down her face. The goblets were tipped over, the water splashing across the smooth surface of the floor, moving with the gentle rock of the boat. "Katara!" He rushed over to her, his hand going straight to her head, he hissed, the scalding temperatures nearly physically burning his hands.

He hovered over her, his arms encasing her body as he searched for any other injuries; he didn't find any. But as he looked closer, he could pick out the dark circles under her eyes, the slightly pale complexion of her usually bright skin, her brows that seemed to furrow and shallow breathing. "Katara?" He called her name, trying to get a response out of her, any sort of response.

* * *

Zuko's eyes scanned between the hallways, his room and Katara, debating whether to leave her and get help, or carry her to help... He went with the latter, deciding not to leave her. With as much strength he could gather in his current state, he gently soaked her hair in the spilt water, the water turning into a glowing blue where she was hurt, before it dimmed back to bloody water that he discarded, immediately scooping her up after.

With laboured breath, Zuko took step after step, calling out to the isolated ship, Katara was burning his skin where she subconsciously grabbed his wrist, and it was already starting to blister. Her grip kept wavering between extremely tight or really loose, never in the middle. The black-haired man leaned against the icy, metal wall; the contrast between Katara's skin and the wall was scarily large, it made Goosebumps arise on his alabaster skin. He caught his breath, clutching Katara tighter to his chest so he wouldn't drop her, he called out once again, his voice hoarse and raspy.

* * *

Zuko could see the bridge of the vessel open; a blizzard obscured his view from the world. The bridge was covered in a thick layer of snow, just how long had he been out? He didn't understand anything, why Katara had suddenly collapsed, why she had come to his aid in the first place...

The gentle moaning of Katara covered his thoughts as he focused on her, looking down as her eyes began stirring behind her lids, her mouth began to form inaudible words. "Ka-Katara...? Wake up," his whispered words travelled the small distance and made her eyes gently slide open, revealing a dead bronze hue. A small, weak smile appeared on her face, her eyes began to meld and turn into their normal colour.

"Zuko," he nodded his head at her but turned to face the snow once again, the white blanket was a huge contrast against the deep grey-ash colour of the metal; it was a great difference between the Firenation, too. "Are you okay now?" He smirked at her, his eyes rolling at the obvious lack of self-concern she had.

So he spoke slowly, "I'm fine, you just need to worry about yourself." With a shake of his head, he forced himself off the wall and began plodding down the corridor, hit feet dragging across the floor, "Katara, you're running a fever... You need to rest," he stared down at the girl only to find her gentle snores and open mouth. Sighing, he picked up the pace to the room he had previously been in, laid her on the bed and cleaned the little rebellious splash of blood up; he didn't want her to get sick over it...

* * *

He searched around for his parka, wanting to go outside to see if everything was OK. After a quick healing session on his wound, a check-up on Katara and a little snack in the kitchen – he made sure to make Katara a little something too – he decided it was time to put the Water Tribe's mind at rest.

* * *

He found his parka. Oh yeah, he found it all right, just not the whole of it. Curiosity ebbed inside him as he continued to glare at the small piece of blue fabric and fur, the itchy texture made the clothing definitely his, and it was so other people wouldn't steal them.

He followed each piece until he reached the open bridge, bigger pieces of his parka had started appearing now, he wasn't sure how many pieces there were, or if this was some sort of joke, but he wanted his parka back, his _mother _had made him that! His fists clenched as his temper begin to rise. Without thinking, he stepped out of the shelter of the vessel and into the chilly temperatures of the South Pole, this was his homeland, he hadn't been here in a month and the only way he had managed to maintain his sanity in the Firenation prison was Katara's weekly visits.

Now, all he could see snow, but amongst that was the tell-tale sign of his village: the small patch of smoke arising from the white ground.

* * *

He was about to start reminiscing when a very loud groan burst through the silent air, bringing Zuko's attention to a large...animal? Its fur was real thick with a slight beige tint, a dark emblem adorned the creature's head, from what he could see, it belonged to the air-nomads, which had been wiped out years ago. It groaned again, its feet beginning to move towards Zuko, the rhythmic beat of six heavy feet reached his ears and he was afraid the beast would fall through the ice... But as soon as its giant tongue stroked the whole length of his body, he couldn't care less about what happened to it.

The Thing's eyes opened, revealing dark grey eyes, they stared into his eyes for a couple of seconds, and then it moaned again. Its giant mouth made Zuko back away slightly, it was _huge_. "He-hey boy or girl... Where's your owner, huh?" As soon as he finished the sentence, a small war cry was heard from behind him. He pivoted on his foot, turning to face it. A boy was charging up towards him with a sword in hand, wearing full red. "Firenation?!" As soon as the boy was about 7 metres away, Zuko recognised him; he was the Firenation's prince!

The images of his and Katara's fight flashed in front of his eyes as he remembered how he had nearly killed her, how he had – no – could've killed the Firelord... His body moved automatically, the sword that was aimed for his heart was stopped between both his palms, inches from its intended target. "Waterbender! Where is my sister!?" His eyes were a ferocious gold, but underneath that, they were covered in a layer of worry. In 4 seconds flat, Zuko tripped the boy up, spinning the sword to land in his opposite hand – hilt in his hand – and pointed at the boy's throat.

"Depends what you want with her, Prince." He snarled the words, acid literally dripping onto the Firenation boy underneath him.

With a sudden burst of energy, the position was switched; the boy had disarmed Zuko of the sword completely, now holding a dagger to his neck. "If you've hurt her, I'll kill you!" The acid seemed to rival Zuko's, the dagger was pressed against his cold skin, and he could feel the warmth from the boy's body despite him not being a bender.

"What do you want with her!?"

"Don't question me, Peasant! I want my sis-"

"ZUKO!"

* * *

Sokka glared at the boy underneath him, he was so angry, knowing that it was possible that the Waterbender beneath him had killed his sister, he refused to believe it for the time being, though. "Don't question me, Peasant! I want my sis-"

"ZUKO!" Sokka turned to face where his little sister was standing, her hand clutched to her side, her opposite fist alight with a ferocious flame of white-blue. "Let him go or I'll kill YOU where you stand!" Her eyes were glistening with tears, he could see because she only stood about 6 metres away from their position. Her legs were shaking from the force of holding her body up and the dark circles under her eyes had become more prominent. Without thought, he scrambled off of Zuko and threw the dagger into the snow, dropping to his knees after walking a couple of steps.

"Katara, I need to explain several things. I know you hate me with your very being, I know that I've always acted cold towards you, I know-"  
"Just tell me why you are here," her voice was strained and in a tangle, but the words were still forceful.

Sokka breathed out harshly, bowing his head slightly. "As soon as I realized you didn't take Appa, I knew how much hatred you held for out Nation. But that has nothing to do with this. Before mom died ten years ago, she made me promise something... She told me to not "smother" you, to make you a "strong person that finds her own path". Mom couldn't afford you to become ruthless like our father."

Katara's brows furrowed, her legs increasing in their shakiness.

Zuko quickly regained his footing, taking his place by Katara's side, a reluctant look firmly on his face as he removed the water from his tunic. "If you're telling me this, then you could've fulfilled mom's wish."

"Just because I'm here, Katara doesn't mean I haven't done horrible things in the past. Mom wanted you to grow up alone, so you could become the person you are today. You refuse to rule the Nation; you're even blunt about it. You try to protect everyone you meet – if they haven't done anything wrong," Sokka cast a look at Zuko, who immediately dodged his gaze, "even if it turns your Nation against you..."

Katara knew Sokka was staring at Zuko but she couldn't bring herself to remove her gaze from her older brother, he looked truly genuine, but she didn't know whether it was a game of deception or not...

What else had she been oblivious to?

* * *

**Edited. :3 Review please!**

**BlackTorment**


	8. Ashes and Dust

**A: TLA © Bryke**

**A/N: Chapter has been edited. New readers, please read and review! :3**

* * *

**The Opposing Elements**

**Chapter 8 – Ashes and Dust**

She couldn't breathe, she felt as if she was constricted, trapped... Breathless. Her throat resembled cotton wool; her head ached with a throbbing passion that rivalled her firebending. She watched with foggy eyes as her brother chipped away at the ice surrounding the vessel's bridge, Zuko could've bent it away, but he and Sokka weren't on the best of terms... Yet. Katara was still anxious about fully trusting her brother after years and years of sibling rivalry and trickery.

She wrapped the cloak around her, glancing across the ocean. Why did everything feel suffocated? So compact... It was depressing. She hadn't thought about what to do once she found Zuko again, she didn't expect to have Sokka to confess to all the things he had, nor to expect her to feel so caged. She felt like her inner fire was flickering, weaning towards extinguish. A sad smile graced her lips as she watched silently; Zuko trudged across the snow, his head hung low as he walked passed all the bloodshed, the corrupt colour of crimson tainted the crystalline snow, killing Katara's mood even more. A lot of blood had been spilt during the past fight.

* * *

She tilted her head back, staring up at the full moon, its beauty splashed across all of the patchy coldness. The sporadic stars in the sky shone with radiance; watching down on Katara.

* * *

Zuko looked back at the vessel, utterly surprised to see Katara directly behind him. He let out a little yelp as he lost his balance, his boots slipping from underneath him. He felt to the floor with an inaudible thump. Katara's light blue cloak swayed in the wind, just missing his body. She had attained it from the chest in her vessel before watching the boat sink to the ocean floor.

He stared at her; her golden eyes morphed into a bronze-silver colour, her skin looked darker than it was and she looked perpetual, she looked older than she actually was. For once, Zuko just stayed quiet, watching as she seemed to just stare at him, her gaze locking with his own. With a level of uncertainty, Zuko's gaze wavered, staring at the snow that was coating his fingers. _Oh, right. I'm on the floor. _With a huff, he heaved himself off the ground and carried on walking towards the sound of laughter and happy shouting.

Katara stared at his back, his form gradually shrinking as he sunk into the darkness. Without another thought, Katara's feet chased after him, her cloak following in the blistering wind. She walked alongside him, watching out the corner of her eye. His face remained the same as his feet sank heavily into the snow, his ethereal beauty was incomparable. _You were the first one to ever listen to me, the first one to ever want the sa__me thing as me._

Zuko led her into the border of the village, keeping his eyes peeled for his father. All the tribesmen and women stared at him; they were clearly surprised to see their waterbender back alive. "Where's my mother?" Fires flickered in an unorthodox way that couldn't be made by wind alone, "I wish to see her, where is she?" The flames grew larger, suddenly spouting into images. A large figure was created, by the looks of it, a firebender. It had a huge build, rippling muscle and destructive fire, beside him, a smaller, more fragile boy looked upon the monster. If one looked closely, it highly resembled Zuko; luckily, he was the only one who did. He watched in shock as the monster powered a lot of fire into one fist, striking the younger boy. The fires were all dancing together, people began to question their sanity; she arose from the floor, keeping their children close.

Zuko turned to Katara, expecting her to be moving her hands, only to find her with her head slightly bowed her hood was covering her face but he could see tears dripping from her face. Rigidly, Zuko paced his hand on Katara's shoulder, surprise eating away at her as she yelped and the flamed immediately extinguished. "Katara, what was that...?"

She looked up at him, "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking straight."

"How did you bend with your mind?"

"I-I-I don't kn-"

"ZUKO!" The frantic scream made the two benders face the village again, watching as his mother ran with her parka in her hands. Katara pulled the hood further over her face, shivering at the familiar voice.

"Son," the voice made her look up; to stare into the cold eyes of water, into ones that had permanently scarred Zuko, who had damaged him...

* * *

Ozai reared back as a fireball was suddenly hurled at him, his eyes going wide as the blue-cloaked form was instantaneously not so cloaked. He dived for the girl, his form pushing her down. She scraped her nails at his face, screaming a bloody murder, yelling at him in angry snarls and venomous poison, all the while, the village watched in shock.

"Father! Release her!" But Ozai didn't, instead he wrapped his fingers around her throat, radiating discreet heat into them almost to boiling point, watching as her skin began to blister. Then, the next minute, both of their bodies were encased in white fire. It was his turn to scream as if his body was being dragged across a thousand needles. The white fire didn't burn her skin though, because she was the wielder.

* * *

"Katara..." The soft voice was melodic and peaceful to the ears, it was calling to her, it wasn't high pitched and annoying nor was it low and dusty, it was just the right pitch... "Katara, wake up." With a grunt, Katara obeyed the command.

"Ursa..." Without a second thought, Katara wrapped her arms around the older woman, burying her face into her neck. Ursa's arms came around her, encasing her in safety.

"You've grown so much..." Tears began dripping down Ursa's face as she gripped the girl tighter, "thank you for bringing my boy home."

Katara gently pushed out of the hug, her eyes scanning her surroundings, "Ursa, he escaped by himself, I didn't do anything."

"You helped him, he would've died in them prisons if it weren't for you," Katara scooted further away, pulling at the furs that were wrapped around her bandaged abdomen.

"Wh-what happened? I can't remember anything..." Ursa looked away for a moment, before turning back to Katara.

"After you seen Ozai, Zuko's father, you attacked him. And you were on the floor, him on top of you. He was strangling you and the rest was white."

"White?"

"White _fire_." Katara gasped, seizing with shame.

"I burnt him..." Another thought never crossed Katara's mind. She ripped away from the bed, bolting out of the hut and into the snowy morning. Her bare feet immediately froze and turned numb, her undergarments had been added to, her abdomen was completely covered. She watched as people around her smiled at her, as if she hadn't caused their chief injury, as if she wasn't a firebender. "Where's Ozai?" An old woman, with greying hair and wrinkled eyes pointed a bony finger to a hut on the other side of the barricade.

"Watertribe folk do not harm ones young, child. Go to him, dare if you may. He doesn't deserve your apology."

* * *

Katara pushed the tent flap back, taken aback, Zuko yelled immediately, until he saw Katara. His eyes lost their rigidity and were bare for her to see, all emotions played across his face in that moment, his hands halted over Ozai's torso, a nasty burn gently being soothed.

He dropped the water and ran straight to her, forcing her against the icy wall, the hut had been made with straight box walls instead of curved ones. His clenched fists slammed against the wall beside her head. His back was hunched over, his lips pulled back in a snarl. "Why... Why did you do that...?" Zuko's head slumped, black locks falling onto her bare shoulder, his breathing was heavy and non-rhythmic, and she could feel his heart pounding in his chest... Or was it her own?

"Do what...?" Instead of him answering, his arms fell from beside her head, weaving behind and wrapping his pale fingers in her messy locks. He pulled her into him, bewilderment played on her features as she continued to stand there, her head buried from view in Zuko's chest.

Tears welled in her eyes as she just stood there, her arms – by their own accord – lifted and wrapped around his waist, making the embrace even tighter. She let her tears fall, all her turmoil and anger towards Ozai, towards Sokka, towards the Firenation. Zuko listened to her tears, his arms tightened around her, her feet just skimming the ground. He had caused this, _If I hadn't have been such a hassle, If I hadn't had been captured, If I hadn't-_

"**Zuko." **Superficially, the waterbender pulled away from Katara, turning and pushing her behind him. He looked at his 'father', watching as he arose from the morgue-like table, the blankets falling away, revealing the intimidating form of the man he had once loved. "**Bitch**." He addressed Katara with a predatory grin, his tongue flicking out to lick along his lips. If people saw Ozai, they would call him a deity; an ethereal being just like his son, but also, people said Evil made someone ugly, they were right.

"Your secret is out, Ozai, no point in trying to deny it." Ozai just seemed to shake his head, running his fingers through his black hair, looking gorgeous with a sweat-glistened body despite the burnt patches on his arm.

"I knew it'd come out sooner or later, I just didn't expect it to come out in the form of the Firenation princess." Then, something clicked.

"You're the one who sold Zuko out! You sent your wife's own son to a death sentence! You scum-bag!" As Katara's fists grew alight, her abdomen suddenly poured of pain. She dropped to the floor, clenched fists in front of her. She watched as blood dripped into the snow-white fur on the floor, choked coughs tore from her throat; the blood was making her dizzy. With an ounce of strength, her fists flickered with white, her feet clumsily found themselves, and she threw a final fireball at Ozai, catching him off guard and striking his face.

Before she passed out, the calls of her name and curses could be heard. So violent.

* * *

It had been four days since that incident; the whole village had taken turns on looking after Katara, because she wasn't awake yet. Sokka had begun helping the elders of the village build huts and dinner with the supplies from the ship.

Toph and Aang had been extremely worried about Katara's condition, so they were occupying themselves with teaching the children how to read and right from manuscripts from the ship, it wasn't ideal, but any education was better than none. Ozai had been stored in a metal cell down in the ship, Aang and Toph routinely checked on him, when they weren't teaching the children.

* * *

_She was running so far, and so fast. She had been running for eternity, it seemed. The light at the end of the forest wouldn't get any closer, no matter how hard she tried. She tried calling out for her friends, for Ursa, for her brother, no-one would answer her. She truly felt alone; as if she was drowning in her own fire._

* * *

Ursa rubbed her temples, watching over Katara. It had been officially a week now, and the Northern Watertribe had sent a letter to the South requesting they send their warriors to Omashu to fight the war that was going to happen in a few days time. Aang and Toph, with several warriors were already 3 days into their travel to the soon-to-be battleground, but now they were requesting more? There were only about 20 men to start with!

"...Ur...Sa." Ursa gasped, dropping the letter, turning to face the writhing princess, her mocha hands were clutching at the bend cloth, setting it alight with little embers. She was about to call for help when the broken words reached her again, "run... He's...co-ming." Immediately, she ripped open the tent flap, jumping when she found Zuko standing there, his cheeks flushed red and his chest heaving up and down.

"He's... Escaped! I'm the only capable bender here; you need to take the villagers and run, mom." The wind howled outside, Katara's writhing intensified, her body arching up off the bed, her head hitting the ice-wall. Zuko covered the distance in three large steps, kneeling beside and feeling her temperature again, she was as hot as she was before.

Katara's writhing stopped, "Zu...ko." He whispered reassurances to her, watching as she seemed to calm down, "run." With that, her body dropped, her head lolling to the side.

* * *

"_WHY?! Why won't you let me go back!?" Her arms pounded against the huge, oval egg; the shell not even breaking._

"_You can go back as soon as he deems you ready." The calm voice drifted to her ears._

_Katara's tears fell as she wrapped her arms around the red thing, "they need me!"_

"_Who?"_

"_The Watertribe!" She clutched at the egg tighter, begging for something to happen, wanting to go back so she could help... She felt so useless. "My friends will be slaughtered because Zuko can't defeat Ozai! They need me!"_

* * *

Zuko watched in horror as Ozai stepped into the sunlight, his face held a cold, malicious smile, his eyes scanning the village with a blood lust. "Living a double life is exceptionally hard, Zuko." Zuko hurried with his bending, trying to seal the village in the ice-globe as quick as he could. "You think that could stop me? I will take my revenge, Zuko."

With that, he fired jets of embers from his fists, scorching the vessel before landing gracefully yards away from Zuko. "I have to admit, I'm at a disadvantage with me being surrounded by water," he tutted as if it wasn't a dilemma he just put himself into, it put Zuko on edge.

"What did you do to Katara?!" Zuko's snarl was vicious and desperate, his previous task finally completed.

"Oh, the Bitch? It's nothing, really. I just sent her to the Spirit World. If she's there and dies, so will her actual body. Slowly, her Chi is boiling her alive, you know." With that final speech, the battle began.

* * *

Zuko, please. Run, don't fight him... _Katara watched with fright as the battle ensued, water whips and fire-daggers slashing at every part of each others' body available...open. She was petrified__; her torment was making her shiver in fear, fear of the village, fear of Zuko's life._

"_He's a powerful bender, Katara; even you had trouble with him." Katara glanced at the red egg, "he needs to learn how to want something, Katara. He needs to feel the pain of Evil. He needs to know what he'll become if he wins this fight." She didn't understand him, if he won the fight, he won the fight... "No, child. If Zuko is the victor of this fight, he'll be cast aside because of his secrecy. He let Ozai's deception live for longer than need be."_

"_And if he loses?"_

"_He dies."_

"_How does he win?" The egg seemed to rattle on the pedestal._

"_Now that is the right question," on the egg's surface, a crack appeared, a red light shooting from the slim line. She stood, walking towards it. "How would this event occur if the roles were reversed?" That confused Katara... Roles were reversed? "If you were the waterbender." Katara's hand drifted to the light, everything stayed the same, except, when the hem of her long-sleeved shirt was encased in the light, it began to change colour; from a crimson red... to an oceanic blue. The light began to bleed blue, instinct told her to keep her hand there, it told her that it'd make her troubles go away, no longer the heir to the throne, no longer a wielder of such a destructive element, Zuko not being captured wouldn't have occurred, either._

_But her heart told her otherwise, that it'd be worse than how it was now, that the mythical Avatar, wielder of all elements would no longer be an element; that she would care for him and he'd be the burden of her. She and Zuko would never be on the terms they're on now... With that, she pulled her hand away; the blue that had nearly overtaken the red disappeared instantly._

_The fight was getting worse and __worse, Ozai and Zuko were covered in each other's blood, gashes running along both of their bodies, clothes ripped and lying scattered around the battlefield. And Zuko was __**losing**_**.**

"_He doesn't need me," the egg cracked more, light beginning to leak out and splash across the forestry of the Spirit World. "I need him." With that, the egg exploded._

* * *

Light. Katara threw all her weight behind its scaly body, ducking her head as it shot through the ice like a red line, the globe of ice turned a crimson red, before shooting outwards and covering every inch of white, blue, and every colour in different shades of red. It was like the sun had turned red. Everything; red. Except her.

The coiling amphibian wrapped itself around her body, not touching her, just around her. It hid her body from view, wanting to keep her power away from everyone but itself, its words were whispering in her ears, in her minds, in her gut. _"Save them, use your power, Katara. Show them what you are made of." _Red scaled enraptured her body; its heat was licking at her from all directions. And now it was time.

With a small breath, her hands were raised above her, her eyes opened; they were completely misted over in a red glow. Without a word, the dragon sunk into her skin, letting her absorb its power, its strength, its weaknesses; completely and wholly.

Zuko stared, his mouth slightly agape from the sight, it was so beautifully powerful... Ozai seemed to be thinking along the same lines. And then the world returned to its normal colour, Katara's eyes also returning.

She looked down as she floated, hitting the white snow with a soft thud. The long-sleeved arms had disappeared, now, her mocha appendages were revealed, red striped decorating her shoulder and wrists, and they were literally pulsing with power. "Thank you, Flame." She turned to Ozai, "This is my win, Ozai, stand down!"

* * *

**Edited. :3 Please review! :)**

**BlackTorment**


	9. Endings of the Manipulation

**A: TLA © Bryke**

**A/N: Edited. 13/01/13**

* * *

_There is nothing so annoying as having two people talking when you're busy interrupting._  
_- Mark Twain_

* * *

**The Opposing Elements**

**Chapter 9 – Endings of the Manipulation**

I felt as if my body was on auto-pilot, because I couldn't control my arms or legs or my bending, but I knew I would succeed, I had to.

* * *

Her arms shot up to the sky, fists alight in an eerie beige colour, her golden eyes were glaring straight into the man's; the one who had hurt Zuko and manipulated the Southern Watertribe. She could feel an unknown hatred burn in the pits of her stomach, it felt ravenous and hungry, for what, she didn't know. All she new was that she felt like she could conquer anything in her path, including the deceptive man in front of her. She could feel it pulsing through her veins, running through her body like her own blood, she didn't even know what 'it' was; it felt powerful. The dragon she had absorbed seemed to have more power than she was anticipating, more blood-lust than she had foreseen.

* * *

Her golden gaze flickered to the beige fire eating at her wrists, watching as it began to meander up to her elbows, stopping. The embers burned her powerful white, turning straight to beige once again. This is what it felt like to have power in her palms; this is how she would save the world, in her hands lay the key to a new era.

With that hopeful thought in mind, her legs spread out in front of her, her palms pushing together and her arms extending, a familiar stance known to all firebenders. Katara closed her eyes, seeing the vision she was thriving for, earthbenders marrying Firenation women out of love, mixed race babies, an avatar reborn; at that, her eyes shot open, her mouth suddenly going dry.

* * *

The Avatar. The last one – Roku – had been exterminated by Hakoda's father, they had been best friends, it was a great treaty, because Roku was born a waterbender, Tenzin was a firebender, it was peace personified. Then the ultimate betrayal had come. Her eyebrows furrowed in anger as she thought of all the hatred she felt for her father, for Yon Rha, for Ozai...

Her palms instantaneously faced the man, and she immediately pushed the fire towards Ozai in a powerful arc, her feet shooting off from the spot from where she was rooted, the older firebender just kicked it away with a graceful movement of his leg. She snarled at him, angry words inaudible and threats recognizable despite it. It was bubbling. The adrenaline was kicking.

* * *

Fireball after fireball was thrown, destruction and devastation was a definite. Ice. It was melting underneath their hot feet and they had no choice but to keep moving. Eventually, the battleground would turn into a snow-leopard's fur. Zuko began bending the ground solid underneath Katara's feet, the area around her also being manipulated into fresh and thick ice.

* * *

Leap after kick, punch after throw, none of her techniques were working. She felt useless and reckless, as if she was _missing _something. She didn't understand, the power that she had accompanied in her veins, it should have heightened the chance of her winning... _"H__ow does he win?" _The words sang through her head, ricocheting from each invisible wall to the next... _"How does he win?" _She rolled out of Ozai's direct line of fire, the ice on her skin feeling like a thousand needles against her boiling skin, it made her hiss.

She stole a look at Zuko; he was concentrating, his bare arms showing his muscles pulsating underneath his pale skin. _"How does he win?" _All she could think about was that one line, she wanted to know the thread of Fate. Ozai was sweating, but she was drenched, he had contained such power for several years and hadn't bended since, probably, yet he had the grace of a gazelle and the power of a lion, such irony.

"_How does he win?"_

It wouldn't leave her head. It was taunting her, making her think for an answer, making her _think _period. A vibrant hiss escaped her throat as a fire whip grazed her side, slicing through her sleeveless shirt, cutting into her skin, her blood poured through such a small wound, as if she had too much of it. _"How does he win__?" _it caused her side to throb, and with trembling fingers, she raised them to her side and clotted the bleeding, croaking as the fire burned her skin, adding another scar to her once flawless body.

_"How does he win?" _She thought back to all her lessons with her father, they hadn't been useless or unnecessary, they were her life skills, her survival guide. Her body turned on auto-pilot, completely, _finally_ relaxing in her own skin. It felt foreign...

* * *

"_Focus, Katara! Do you want to be fried?!" An eight-year-old Katara glared playfully at her father, turning to her mother with teary eyes. The woman just smiled a breath-taking toothy winner._

"_Mommy! Daddy's being mean!" Kya just rolled her eyes, urging the little girl to carry on training._

"_If you're in a position when you know you are over-powered, do not back down. Feel the fire run through your veins and think. Think about painful memories; that fuels our bending-"_

"_Hakoda, sweetie-"_

"_Kya, she needs to learn this! Turn your body into a host of your chi; because you are not your body, but the chi inside your veins, it's merely a shell. And with time, you will become indestructible." Little to Katara's knowledge, she would experience such painful memories within the next few months. It was the sight of her mother's body being rejected of breath. All the while, she would stare into her 8-year-old's eyes, mouthing the words: do not let him win._

* * *

"How does he win?" This time, it was speaking from her throat; her beige fire hurdled towards Ozai with a magnificent speed and a deadly accuracy, her back arching as she gambolled back. The adrenaline that had been kicking through her veins amplified, making her eyes mist up with the fuelled power.

"He doesn't."

It was an answer she had been looking for, searching for during the whole battle, when in reality, she knew the answer all along.

With a hollow breath, she screamed at Ozai, the elbow-high fire sprouting up to her arms, encasing her collarbone, then down to her feet. It became a second skin, and it made her feel much more comfortable than her first one. Anger. Rage. Hatred. Pain. And memories, they all fuelled her attacks. Her fingers meandered through several mysterious techniques, confusing Ozai. She blew into her fire-palms, watching as the embers began to tremble and flicker, extinguishing then relighting. It was as if the fire was controlling her hands, not the other way around.

"I win this fight."

With that whispered promise, Katara bolted forward, arms outstretched and fingers curved into claws, fire licking at her palms, arms and _whole body_. Screaming, she streamlined his body with her one, immediately shooting at his back and gambolling into a crouch. Hit. Ozai's grunt was satisfying. Her eyes pulsed red once, the gold blazed with a frightening beauty.

She twirled in a 360 degree turn, flames following her feet; Ozai narrowly dodged the impending attack, a ravenous growl escaping his throat along with the manoeuvre. His eyes were ferocious and hungry.

* * *

Zuko had never seen his father look so bloodthirsty, he looked like an untamed beast, and Katara looked so frail and small compared to him, his chest was hurting with the anxiety pulsing throughout his body. His eyes were cast in a worried glance, and after Katara's comatose state only just being relinquished, he wasn't sure she was up to the fight. But after seeing the flare of power in her and the slim scale of Ozai's body, he felt more confident.

Katara howled as Ozai landed a punch to her ribs; a light crunch rang through her ears as she clutched at the side of her shirt that had been fried, holding the already bruising skin. "You're a pathetic firebender, to know that such a thing is royalty of the Firenation," Ozai's taunts echoed around in her brain, tickling her reactions and punching at her anger.

Their fighting was like a song, at first it was a deadly grace, to a crescendo; a gradual build up of power. She hated this song. It was destructive. She lengthened her fire-daggers to whips, striking for his sides and face, feet and ankles, attempting to slow him down so she could get a decent hit. Her ribs were aching, but it wasn't pain because of her adrenaline, all she could feel was her chi pouring through her veins.

Katara threw sporadic fireballs in Ozai's general direction, successful in distracting him. Now, she ran. She hopped from ice-block to ice-block, quickly closing the distance between them, all the while, shooting fireballs at his feet and melting the ice. Eventually, as Zuko continued to bend under her feet, Ozai was being tamed onto one solid block. With one last leap and an extra boost from her fire, Katara landed on the ice with Ozai, the thing wobbling mercilessly.

She turned down her fire, bringing it to just her fists, her eyes wide and her chest expanding in exhaustion. The close-combat was hard. Thick, pale arms hurdled towards her, just missing her head. She swung her leg underneath him, hitting his ankle with a fiery foot, bringing him to his knees. She held his hair in one balled hand, her other pointing at his face with an angry, embered fist. "Surrender," he smirked at her.

* * *

Without a second passing, Ozai tugged on the back of her knee, bringing her down unsuspectingly, into the ice. His bigger form flared with fire, his hands wrapping around her throat, no fire; it was just brute strength. It was turning into a hand-to-hand match, Ozai clamping down on Katara's throat, only to release her because of her nails biting into his skin, ripping down his sides like she had done to Hakoda.

* * *

Zuko's emotions were all over the place, he was trembling with anxiousness now, and he needed to do something! He needed to get closer! With that thought in mind, he sprinted across the snow, seeing blood spatters and melted ice made him queasy and nauseous. He carried on, keening his eyes on Katara's and Ozai's forms, both struggling to tame the other. It was horrific and amazing at the same time; the way Katara held herself against such a huge and strong man in hand-to-hand combat, truly breath-taking.

He bended the melting ice underneath them to solid snow, staying focused on stopping them from sinking.

Unexpectedly, Zuko watched as Katara pushed Ozai onto the icy ground, his wrists encased in white fire, his ankles buried in the ice – courtesy of Zuko. "Surrender," it was a biting tone as she repeated the word, keeping her eyes on his four limps and his face.

* * *

"Go to Hell," with that, he broke out of his restraints and without pin-pointing his exact location, aimed to fire at Zuko. But Katara beat him.

"Then you're coming with me!" She pushed his kneeling form into the water around the ice-block, propelling them both down into the icy depths of the sea, all the while, hearing the frantic shouts of Zuko that seemed to move with the waves.

* * *

Why hadn't he interfered? Why hadn't he put an end to this fight when he had his chance? He knew why. _Katara's honour and her pride wouldn't have allowed it. She barely allowed me to keep her atop the ice. _The oncoming fireball had been unanticipated, but he easily moved out of the way. What surprised him was watching as Katara's feet sunk beneath the surface of the blue ocean, and the steam arising from it reminded him that the battle wasn't over just yet. He wanted it to stop; he wanted to tell Katara that she'd done enough, that she didn't need to fight any more.

* * *

She felt so cold; her nervous system was freezing inside her body. With a puff of air, her fingertips grew a blazing red, warming her body up and creating steam. The contrast between the water and her body was breath-taking – in a bad way. Her eyes looked around, searching for the shadowed form of Ozai, only to come up with fish and rock. She closed her eyes momentarily, letting her body begin to float to the surface.

She thought of the friends she had made, how she had made them wasn't exactly the best circumstances and she may have not known them that long, but she felt generally happy to have them at her side.

_Aang. An earthbender who had been forced out during a raid by the Firenation... He had somehow found Toph. Toph; an airbender; the __**las**__**t **__airbender to ever live. She obviously has a huge burden on her shoulders because of it; and loads of enemies._

Her breath escaped her when she felt a tight fist wrap around her ankle, pulling her into the darker waters of the ocean, her lungs screaming, begging, wanting for oxygen. She was surprised to be wrapped in an embrace, it felt ironically safe. She was afraid, she couldn't see the face and she had assumed it to be Ozai, but as the arms kept a tight grasp on her, all she could feel was herself being propelled towards the surface.

Who was he?

* * *

**Edited. New readers, please review! :3**

**BlackTorment**


	10. A Wise Mop Once Told Me

**A: TLA (c) Bryke**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, I only own the plot. **

**A/N: Happy new year everyone! It was my birthday on New Years Eve and I spent it with my best friend! She's amazing! Thanks for staying with me all the way! The great finale is coming up soon, oooh. Yep, that's right! It doesn't end after Ozai!**

* * *

**The Opposing Elements**

**Chapter 10 – A Wise Mop Once Told Me**

He wasn't entirely sure what to do, he couldn't think. But when he felt a body emerging from the ocean, he held his breath. He wanted to believe it was Katara; he wanted to know she was safe. Pale hands gripped at the edge of ice, his breath escaped him and he collapsed to his knees, he couldn't believe she had lost... He should have helped her! He glared at his father, watching as icy eyes looked into his own, but the man collapsed after a smug smirk had graced his lips. He was half on the ice and Zuko was debating whether to pull him back on, or toe him off the edge and back into the icy depths; instead of either, he just left him there.

His heart had escalated into his throat, he continued to stare at the man lying on the ice, he had been pushed to the point of unconsciousness to defeat Katara, and she had had additional power, so why... Before he even realized, Zuko was palming his eyes, trying to stop the water that escaped. What was he supposed to tell Toph and Aang? They had been shipped off to Omashu to aid in the war...

'_Katara should've stayed in power. She should have never tried to help me, I shouldn't have escaped, I shouldn't have left that prison cell, because at least then she wouldn't have followed me. I'm such a fool!' _He let his body flop to the side, curling into a loose ball in the snow. His tears were brief and in a small amount, but his lip quivered slightly. Why. Why. WHY! He tightened his shell, wishing for the pain to end; why was he hurting so much? They should've never crossed the border between their nations. They were natural born enemies, so why had he agreed to stand by her side? He closed his eyes, only to re-open them again, her smiling face...

A grunt broke him out of his depressing reverie; he swiftly stood up; taking long strides to grab the firebender out of the water by the collar of his tunic. His eyebrows plummeted in anger; he released one of his hands and forcefully punched Ozai across the jaw. Despite the aggressive punch, Zuko didn't feel better. "WHY!" He screamed in the man's face, Ozai didn't even flinch, he just chuckled; it was a dark and an unwanted sound; so Zuko punched him across the jaw again.

Ozai's cutting eyes just stared into Zuko's, "you honestly didn't think that she could win against me. Katara was weak; she let her emotions manipulate her,"

"Don't say her name!" The shout surprised Ozai and a brief flicker of fear appeared on his face; he covered it with a scowl of indifference. Zuko looked away, unable to face him when his tears began welling up again.

"Even you're weak. Crying for your enemy," Zuko forced back the lump in his throat, facing Ozai once more.

"I hate you," with that, he released Ozai, dropping him back onto the ice. He turned his back on Ozai with his head down. He began trudging back towards the village; back towards failure.

* * *

She growled, punching her fists against the solid walls of her 'prison'. "Let me out!" The mop of brown hair just continued playing with the rock in his palm, shaping it into all sorts of shapes; he was ignoring her! She heated her palms discreetly, desperately trying to get back to the South Pole. Funnily enough, despite her prison being rock, it was completely transparent; it freaked her out slightly.

The rock wouldn't even melt underneath her fingers! Not that she expected it to... With a huff, she cropped to her bum and crossed her arms over her chest, a scowl planted on her face. Zuko probably thought she was dead now! "Look, whoever you are," she hadn't managed to get a look at his face yet, "but thanks for saving me. If you're kind enough, I need to be let go so I can go back to the South Pole for my friend-"

"You can't." She bared her teeth, but in a confusing way. Why was this prison so confusing? Shouldn't it have been soundproof?

"What?" The Mop shook his head; then he turned to face her. Darker-than-brown eyes greeted her; green strips of colour highlighted his high cheekbones, his hair cupped his face. If she was to rate him out of his looks, he'd be standing with the Gods.

"You're not ready for what's waiting for you." Then he turned back to ignoring her. She frowned and uncrossed her arms, her brain trying to calculate his words.

She exhaled slowly, "what's waiting for me?" He let out a deep chuckle.

"Blood, Katara."

* * *

He held his mother closely, letting her cry into his shoulder. She clutched at his robes with desperation, he had to squeeze his eyes shut otherwise he would've joined her. "Mom, please stop." Ursa choked, hearing the strained voice of Zuko.

"I'm sorry." Ursa pulled away and began scrubbing at her eyes, turning around to distract her self with pulling the furs straight on her bed. She faced Zuko; only she found him gone.

* * *

"Are you going to let me out?" Katara's eyebrow twitched as the boy continued to ignore him. "Look, I know you can hear me! Stop being such a wise bastard and explain!" The sentence came out as a snarl, but it got Mop's attention.

"Katara, how do you feel about killing?" She froze, her gaze immediately switched to the dirt ground beneath her feet.

"I-I-I... I've never killed anyone before." She seemed to rasp out another word that he couldn't quite grasp.

"Care to repeat that?"

"I haven't killed anyone directly!" Tears were welling in her eyes, so she turned her face away. "I've severely injured someone, and when they went to get healed; they died in the process." Mop's expression turned to one of sympathy, a gently smirk flirting on his face a moment later.

"As long as it was justified, then you're fine."

"How can you say that so nonchalantly!?" He glared at her; it was a heavy look that didn't look playful or boyish any more.

"Because, Katara, when you're forced in to a situation where you have but one choice, you learn the true hard-ships of justified killing." Katara shut her mouth; only for it to open a second later.

"Who was it?" He looked at her with a surprised look on her face, her eyes held the sympathy he had shown her.

"It was my brother." She gasped, her hand coming across her mouth to gold it in; it wasn't one of those over-dramatic gasps, just a barely audible sound. He released her out of her box, letting her take in fresh air from the trees surrounding her.

"I-"

"Don't try to say anything. Anyway, if you've killed someone – be it indirectly or in person – you need to be able to stomach the guilt and burden. You need to be ready to carry the burden."

"I really don't understand. Why are you saying such things? Am I to kill someone or something?"

"'_Or something?'_" He looked at her, scanning her from top to bottom as if he was trying to figure her out. "You're the Firenation princess, you are supposed to want the best for your country, and what is that?"

"Equality,"

"And...?"

"Freedom." He smirked at her.

"So you're not as stupid as I originally thought." She glared at him.

"I really need to get back to my friend now," she began walking down the muddy path of the forest, only to be blocked by a thick wall of rock. "I haven't got time to play with you! My friend thinks I'm dead!" She twirled and brought her hands up, "let me leave or face the consequences," her hands flickered into white flames, she show-cased them; they were covered in threats.

He scowled, "go ahead and try it," so she did. She brought her arms out and gave out a war cry. Immediately, she dashed for him, her eyes mentally melting him where he stood. He brought a wall of rock into her path, and without missing a beat, she ran up, front-flipping and landing back on her feet. The rock-wall slammed into the ground once again. "Not bad Princess," she growled. She threw multiple flames at him, he counter-attacked with columns of rock being hurdled at her. She hissed as one pushed into the edge of her ribs, making her cough out blood. Something cracked, but she carried on. "Oh wait, you _betrayed _your nation to run after your peasant lover! Talk about forbidden romance!" Mop dramatically swooned, managing to dodge furious flame licking fireballs by inches. "He must've been good, or you two must've been so in love to do such a thing! Which brings me back to something, you're only fourteen!" His taunts and remarks were making her furious! Smoke visibly streamed out of her nostrils.

Without a second thought, her speed increased and she managed to dodge the powerful, breath-taking rock-columns out of the way. She watched as Mop's eyes widened in surprise, she smirked, then she blew flame at him, expecting it to burn his face, she was too engrossed in her victory to notice the three rock-balls pelting towards her. One hit her in her right shoulder, the other knocked her ankle from under her, and the final one narrowly missed her head.

She groaned and rolled over, her anger raging to dangerous levels as Mop appeared before her, a stern expression on his face. "That's your problem Katara," he sighed, "your power; it's fuelled by your emotions. You can't win like this." After finishing his speech, he turned and began walking away, hands in his pockets. She pulled herself up, clutching at her ribs. She glanced at his green-clad back, metal shells embraced his shoulders and an orange sash was emphasizing his waist. She looked into each detail carefully; into him. His boots were scuffed, his bare arms were shadowed in green lines; two on each wrist; two on each bicep...

"Wait," he stopped, looking over his shoulder at her. "Teach me." He rolled his eyes.

"Come on, lets get your ribs looked at," he held out his bronzed hand; palm upwards. It looked trustworthy, and it looked worthwhile.

"Okay." She took his hand albeit reluctantly, and he led the way on a slab of rock.

* * *

"Dead?" Hakoda threw a menacing glare at the newly promoted Admiral, Hakoda's eyes were slits; anger was raging inside him. "How can she be dead?" The kneeling man looked up.

"I killed her myself, Firelord Hakoda."

"I take your word for it, Admiral Ozai."

* * *

"Katara's gone." Sokka looked up from his scroll; his mouth hanging open as he saw Zuko – Zuko, who lived over a thousand miles away – was standing before him. Then the news cracked through his skull.

"What do you mean gone?" Sokka arose from his seat, his golden eyes glared into sorrowful blue.

"She's dead, Sokka." Sokka stepped back, walking into the table behind him; he grasped on to the splintered edges of the cheap wood. Toph grasped his forearm, only for it to be slapped away. He brought a palm up to his one eye, covering it and staring at the floor.

"I've failed..." He leaned into the table.

Zuko looked to the side, "no Sokka, I did. I failed her. I said I'd protect her, I didn't." Aang suddenly came bursting in, his sightless eyes wide.

"Firenation soldiers have infiltrated the border! Omashu's falling!" That was the last words spoken before they were forced into a fight with dozens of soldiers.

Before Zuko had a bag forced over his head, he let out final words, "I failed you, Katara. And now, I've failed the world."

* * *

"It's not much," Mop gestured to his little hut; it consisted of a bed – with frayed covers – and a large couch that looked surprisingly comfy. An open fireplace stood; black and heatless with logs ready to be burned. She turned to face Mop; he was shrugging his metal shells off, his sash being removed and hung on a hook straight after.

"So, what's your name?" He looked at her with a dumb-founded look, "you haven't told me it yet, and you somehow know mine, so I'd feel more comfortable if we were on the same level." His eyebrows waggled suggestively then, she felt a blush creep up her neck, but she forced it back down, determined to not let him win this round, too.

* * *

"_Please, I was going easy on you!" She closed her eyes, refusing to look at him. She could practically feel his smirk around her. She growled. "You're such an oxymoron,"_

"_Well, I do live around trees." Her eyes shot open in a deep glare, immediately, she gasped as her foot caught on a root of a tree, she yelped and readied herself for the fall; only to be caught in a soft half-embrace. She glanced up through her lashed at Mop, his soul-eating eyes were wide and surprised, his arms were locked underneath her shoulders and with a little tug, and he had her standing up again. He coughed, releasing her. He quickly turned and carried on walking. "Don't make tree jokes; they already hate you for being a wielder of fire." He threw a smirk back at her._

* * *

She threw a little ball of flame at the fireplace; it ignited almost instantaneously.

"Call me Jet,"

"Jet." She tested it on her tongue, and then she shrugged. "Jet, what are you going to teach me?" The innocent question surprised Jet, when he looked at her, he truly saw that she was still fourteen, despite her power and anger and rage.

"I'm taking away the reason you fight," she went to interrupt, but he held a finger up; silencing her, "because I'm going to make you see your true reason." She nodded, sitting down on the couch.

She turned to look at him, "so, what's my reason?" He flicked her in the forehead.

"I said you, not me. Get up; I'm going to teach you some earth bending moves."

"Why?"

"Because you can outdo your enemy if you know more than just your natural element." Rolling her eyes, she pulled her hair into a high pony-tail, walking out of the hut on his tail. He even left his armour, huh.

* * *

"Again!" She ground her knuckles into the dirt, her feet were slipping on the mud and her boots were screaming in torture. She should've never met him. He was a masochist. She had a rope wrapped around her waist; it was biting into her bare skin. She was currently in her under-wrappings; the rope was attached to a rock that was bigger than her. He was forcing her to move it.

"When you said earth bending moves, I assumed you meant throwing the rock columns like earlier, perhaps I could do that?"

"You're too optimistic."

Another five hours of rock pulling was gruelling; so when she turned in at dusk, she felt relieved.

* * *

"Fifty more!" She growled, pushing her body to the ground and lifting it up again. She had been doing press-ups for the last three hours none-stop! She had to have done at least 400. She growled into the dirt as her arms gave under the constant strain. She hated Jet.

* * *

Day after day, Jet had put her through constant tasks that were so pointless; she thought she was going to go mad. He kept repeating the same words "once you understand, you'll move on," hell, she didn't even know what she was supposed to understand!

* * *

Katara awoke as she heard a knocking on the door; it wouldn't stop, either. Jet was out and she was having trouble with getting enough sleep as it was! With that, she stood and walked over to the door; pulling it open. A little boy stood there, a scroll in his hands. "Is Jet in?" He didn't seem fazed that she was currently in his house, she shook her head. "Okay, hand this to him, please?" She nodded, taking the scroll and shutting the door as the boy sprinted off. She set it down on the couch. She groaned as she realized she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep now.

She walked over to Jet's closet, pulling out one of his brown long-sleeved shirt; she threw it over her head and pulled her crimson pants on. She wrapped the orange sash around her waist and slid her knife into it. She opened the door and walked into the cold-night air, it bit into her skin, so she warmed herself up.

After finding a decent spot, she began the training she had been dong by herself for the last couple of days. She remembered Jet's form of when he had threw the columns at her. She pushed her right foot forward, her toe pointing straight ahead; she brought her left hand up, clenching it quickly. Columns of fire suddenly ignited around her; she inwardly rewarded herself, finally! She turned her fist vertically, the columns following the movement, then she kicked her left foot forward; her right hand – palm flat and facing the air – out; it sent the columns flying into nothing. She did a minor happy dance.

This time, she remembered Toph's form; the one where she had created a slice of air that could cut through anything because it was so fine. She dragged her feet back together, holding her hands parallel but not bending her wrists, she exhaled slowly. She summoned her fire and it coated her hands, and with a quick exhale, she dragged her hands apart, crating a blade of fire that hurdled towards a tree. She watched in satisfaction as is sliced through it without even burning it.

Her element flickered out as she remembered Zuko's form; how he had kept a constant wave of water barraging towards a soldier. She ignited her power again, spreading her arms wide; she pushed her right foot forward and turned it horizontally. She brought her right hand scooping under her arm up first, a strip of fire following her movements, then her left hand. Soon enough, she had constant waves of embers flowing into nothing.

"You're ready," she gasped, turning to face Jet. He had a small smile on his face, "we better hurry to the Capital if you want to stop your friends and brother being caught in a slaughter." Her eyes widened. He held up the scroll. She ran over to it, ripping it out of his hands.

'_Hey Jet, I don't have time for formalities, but I, Aang, Sokka and Zuko have been captured by Hakoda. The bastard had infiltrated Omashu and brought it to its knees. We found out that Katara's dead and that Ozai is back with the Firelord. He's been bragging about the fact that he killed Katara for a while now. I feel like our hope has been lost, now. I genuinely thought we'd have a shot at bringing the Capital down with her on our side. Now, we're waiting for our execution date. I need you to stay out of this fight, please. We've already had three rounds of torturing from Hakoda because he has a suspicion about Katara's death; he's saying we're hiding her. Anyway, I'll see you in the afterlife, old friend.'_

"They think I'm dead."

"See why I made you stay here? Now we have two elements of surprise."

"Two?"

"Never mind." The coy grin Jet showed her made her feel like he was hiding something big. But with her friends on the road to their death, she didn't particularly care.

"Lets do this."

* * *

**This was really exciting to write, for some bizarre reason... T.T Anyway, review please! Tell me what you think? **

**Until next time.**

**BlackTorment**


	11. Our Arrival

**A: TLA (c) Bryke**

**A/N: Yay! This chapter is finally finished! Told you it was going to be a big one! I'm actually proud of this... :D Please read and review! :3**

* * *

_Only borrow money from pessimists, they don't expect to get it back._

_- Steven Wright_

* * *

**The Opposing Elements**

**Chapter 11 – Our Arrival**

She couldn't get the frightening assumptions out of her head. Tortured. They were being tortured because of a _suspicion_. Her friends were taking beatings because of her... Her fists clenched as she gripped the reins of the moose-horse she was currently riding on. Its mane flared with delicate beauty and she was sure it loved feeling the wind through its hair. A sigh escaped her lips as she continued to look straight ahead. Jet was sitting behind her; he was uncomfortably close and quite a touchy-feely person but she tried her best to ignore it. He had two unusual swords hanging on the side of the animal on hooks, they had hooks themselves, on the end.

The scroll that she had read earlier this morning felt like it was choking her stomach; she truly felt bad for her friends and the guilt was overwhelming. She'd doubted Sokka, too. She had been given the reins because she knew the way to the Capitol from anywhere; she felt as if it constantly called for her. She felt Jet's head hit her shoulder and his quiet snoring reached her ears. She narrowed her eyes and carried on into the night. Draping the cloak she wore over Jet, she dropped their pace slightly. _I'm coming for you, friends._

* * *

Jet stretched back, the crimson cloak falling off his shoulders. He looked at it carefully, surprised to see it was Katara's. He stared into the back of her head, shifting away to give her space as they continued to ride on the moose-horse. "You haven't spoke since the inn," Katara briefly stared at him from the corner of her eye, she didn't answer him. He sighed, "What. Now you're on a mission you're going to go all stoic and unemotional?"

Katara pulled the creature to a stop and faced him, "I've been thinking." With that, she carried on. Jet hit his head off her back repeatedly.

"About what?"

"A strategy."

"Forever the tactician." Although it was a mumble, she heard it clearly and glared at him. It was like she had become a completely different person.

"I'm going to challenge my father to an Agni Kai. I can beat him." Jet shook his head.

"You do realize, now he has Ozai back at his side, he's obviously gotten stronger and may be at the same level as the man. You couldn't beat him and if it wasn't for me, you'd actually be dead." Katara raised a hand and rubbed a temple, she knew he was right, but it still annoyed her to hear such.

"So, how do you know Toph?" He smirked at her, rolling his eyes at the lack of curiosity behind the statement.

"Well, when her parents were killed in the Raids, we found her as a small child. She was a refugee seeking shelter. Of course, after hearing of a rumoured airbender in my village, they completely burned it to the ground, including my parents."

"My nation's a killer,"

"Fire, is the killer." Jet smoothed his hand over her back, the tense muscle underneath his palm let him know just how much guilt she was carrying on her shoulders. "We'll get them out, I promise." Katara nodded, reluctantly putting her courage in him.

* * *

"Hello Son." Zuko spat blood in Ozai's face, a snarl rippling through his bared teeth. Ozai smirked at him. "Now, don't be so feisty and instead, tell me where your girlfriend is. Because, she didn't get out that water and I didn't see you leave with her, either."

"I told you she's dead!" Zuko rattled the chains binding his wrists, desperately trying to be rid of him so he could get his hands on the man in front of him.

Ozai scowled, "If you were born a firebender, you'd be a feisty little fucker," Zuko snarled again, his blue eyes turning to ice-cutting temperatures. "Tell me Zuko, is Katara as passionate in bed as when she fights?" Zuko knew he was taunting him and he was rising to the bait; he couldn't help it... "Because once I find her, I might ask Hakoda if he can send his daughter to me for her repentance." Ozai laughed as Zuko pushed forward and his muscled shoulders arched back painfully. Zuko gnashed his teeth at the man; he was desperate for his head.

"I wouldn't know," the way his voice snapped brought Ozai out of his humour. "As soon as I get out of these chains, I'll have your head on a pike, Hakoda's too!" That earned him a fiery punch in his cut and he coughed; trying to gasp in breath.

"Respect the Firelord, Runt. You didn't even try to protect her; that shows how much you care about her in itself."

"She has too much honour and pride for me to interrupt!"

"Had, Zuko. She's dead, remember? Or are you hiding the little bitch? I should've just killed you when I had the chance." Zuko grunted as Ozai wrapped his hand around Zuko's wrist, immediately scalding and blistering his skin. "Katara's dead and you just stood and watched as I took her into the ocean. You didn't even try water bending. You're absolutely pathetic." With that said, Ozai turned and walked out of the cell.

Zuko dropped the strain in his arms, the chains allowed him to drop his knees. It was funny how he was back in the cell he and Katara had bonded. It was painful irony that he felt peaceful in such an environment. He kept wondering if she was going to walk through that cell door. He knew it wouldn't be. She was DEAD.

"Katara..."

* * *

"How long until we reach the Capitol?" Jet moaned and shifted his stance on the moose-horse. His buttocks were numb!

"It'd take a day at least." Jet groaned with barely restrained boredom.

"We need some action!" At that, he slipped his hands onto Katara's hips, gently massaging them. Katara didn't react; she didn't even flinch! "Ye-ow!" He screeched as he pulled his hands off, examining them with a scared look on his face. "You singed my hands with your skin!" Katara rolled her eyes but otherwise kept her gaze up ahead. She didn't have time for lecherous earth benders.

"Touch me again and I'll burn off your eyebrows." At the mention of his eyebrows, he brought his hurting hands to cover the hairy areas.

"You wouldn't." She glared at him through the corner of her eye.

"Try me," he shivered at the scolding look that settled in her blazing eyes. Instead of rising to the challenge, Jet shrugged it off and cradled his burned hands.

He smirked, "you know, Zuko has quite the fiery temper, perhaps you two should try it o-" he ducked rapidly, leaning out of range and almost falling off the animal beneath him because of Katara's very accurate fired fist.

"And I intentionally missed that time." He nodded, scooting back in fear for the feisty little firebender.

* * *

His eyes stared at the floor, despite them being sightless; he could see more than people with eyesight could. He lifted his head to look in the general direction of the Firelord; his face was a stoic mask. "Earthbender, you'll be wise to speak to me when addressed,"

"But you're not my leader, _Firelord_. If anything, you're my leader's enemy." The monotone was a dead mixture of upset and stubbornness; the Firelord didn't like it.

Hakoda took a step closer to the earthbender, "I could postpone your execution, or I could hasten it. It's your decision."

"No it's not, it's my decision whether to cooperate or not, Firelord." Hakoda internally winced every time the kid said his title; the way he said it spat venom and disdain, it was almost as bad as Katara's.

_Katara... _He was all alone now, his children were traitors; one of them dead and Kya was gone, too. He'd never felt alone when around his children because he had been led to believe Sokka looked up to him but that was not the truth. "Where are you hiding her?" His voice was a steely baritone that was trying to contain the pleading within his throat. He didn't want his daughter to be dead; after all, he was still her father.

Aang snorted and rattled his chains, "Katara? I wouldn't know. Even if she was alive, which she's not, I wouldn't know because me and Toph had been shipped off to Omashu to defend the kingdom against you a couple weeks before Ozai attacked her."

"I thought Ozai had killed her?"

Aang let out a dark chuckle; it was a chilling sound, "Ozai didn't kill her, he dragged her into the water with him."

"...Water... Thank you, earthbender." Aang's face took on a frantic look, had he just given away something unintentionally?

"For what?"

"For leading me in the waterbender's direction." Aang reared back and his chains rattled. Hakoda exited the cell with a new destination in mind.

* * *

"_You're absolutely pathetic." _Hakoda watched with cold eyes as Ozai exited the waterbender's cell, they shared a nod of acknowledgment before Ozai carried on with his head held high.

"Not the earthbender, he's done." Ozai nodded and continued to leave the cells. Hakoda turned to look into the waterbender's cell. Astonishment crossed his features as he watched the waterbender fall to his knees, the brief sound of his daughter's name caught Hakoda's ears. He strolled in to the cell with a scowl on his face; he was confused as to why such a troublesome and powerful waterbender had been reduced to a pitiful pile in the space of less then a week. "Katara and you were never meant to meet, Zuko."

Hearing his name pass the Firelord's lips; Zuko looked up and met the iron gaze of Katara's father, "you think I don't know that? If she'd never had met me, she wouldn't of followed me when I escaped and fought Ozai. She wouldn't be dead if it wasn't for me." His eyes fell to the floor once again, but his chin was lifted by Hakoda's painful hold.

"I wouldn't have lost my daughter if it wasn't for you, peasant." Zuko laughed in the man's face, it was a haunting one that reverberated in his own ears, giving himself the chills.

"You had already lost your daughter, Hakoda. She had just finally found the resolve to fully escape your clutches."

"You insolent child!" Hakoda brought his fist back and slammed it against Zuko's right cheek, narrowly missing his nose. Zuko grunted and fell to the side slightly, the chains restricting his movements. "She would've been my heir and led our country to victory!" Zuko tilted his head up to face him, his blue eyes were deep with sorrow but burned with an intense passion. A silence took hold of them both as threats were passed between both benders.

"Katara wouldn't have done that. She would've taken you off the throne and settled peace across the regions. You don't realize how much she is like her mother." Hakoda stepped back. "She wouldn't have taken after you so I assumed that her mother was just like her." Hakoda nodded despite himself. "She would've brought peace to our society and re-united our nations like they were meant to be. You are just driving her ideas into the fire, literally." Anger took hold of Hakoda and he grabbed the boy by the collar of his singed tunic; dragging him up to his eye-level by it.

"This isn't over, boy."

"It hasn't even started yet, Firelord."

* * *

"Look out!" Katara reached for Jet and rolled him off the moose-horse, their bodies hitting the rocky ground with a thump. Multiple fireballs scorched the creature's path and it galloped off into the forest. Before Katara even knew what was happening, they were underground; breathing in the dust from the immediate manoeuvre.

Katara reached out for Jet, not being able to see him in the dark and instantly grasped his tunic. She pulled him forward and growled in his face. "Get us back up there, now!" She lit her palm with white fire, it flashed across Jet's dark features and he shook his head; his hair barely missing the hissing flame.

"We need to hide you away, Katara. They can't know you're alive otherwise your friends will be in even more danger than they are now." Katara released him and nodded in understanding. "I'm going back up there and I'll fight them off," a panicked look crossed her mocha face and she was about to protest but he covered her mouth with a dusty palm. "Please, your lack of courage in me hurts." He flashed a pearly white smile at her before disappearing in a burst of star-lit rock. She huffed and sat down, absent-mindedly playing with her white flame.

* * *

"Who were you with, earthbender?!" The masked Firenation soldier growled out; a flame was flickering in his palm as if Jet would be moved by the obvious threat. He snorted with indifference.

"She was my wife; she was a refugee from the Firenation, _Soldier._ Now, will you let me and my wife pass or will I have to defeat you and send you back to where you belong with your tail between your legs?" His voice was a deadly snarl and the soldier stepped back at the verbal power. _Good. _Jet sneered and brought his fist up, three clumps of rock following. "I will not ask again," at that, the soldier charged for Jet, he easily dodged the impending fireball and hurdled a rock at the man, hitting him straight in the stomach; the impact cause the man to fly past his teammates and hit into one of the trees, effectively knocking him into unconsciousness.

Jet's columns came next; they attacked three soldiers who thought being a bigger number would stop him. He snorted and ushered his rock into action. Each column hit the soldiers in either a leg or a shoulder; knocking the soldiers to the ground. After that, he spread his arms and encased them in rock; they became a mound of solidity.

The final four thought that fire walls would stop him, cornering him into a blockade of embers. He released multitudinous rocks that pelted the men into another state of awareness. He sighed and dropped his position. Feeling for Katara in the ground, he brought her up to the surface shrieking. She glared fire at him and he internally shivered; she was so scary! "Warn me!" She walked up to him and began pounding on his chest lightly, "but thanks," he wrapped his arms around her and smiled into her hair. She remained how she was; her arms were captured between their bodies and the embrace felt awkward... "We need to get going." Jet released her a second later and looked up into the blanket of dark blue covering them.

"How long is it going to take us to reach the Firenation?" Katara looked up from her hands, closing her eyes a second later and concentrating; she felt the familiar pull of the Capital – the centre of her bending – and calculated it on her fingers.

"Without rest, it'd take us four hours, with rest, we'd be their by noon tomorrow definitely." Jet brought his hand up to his chin and rubbed thoughtfully, debating whether to get to the Capital sooner or at full strength.

He held up his finger, "we're going to rest, we'll need to be at full strength to infiltrate the Capital, and we need to make a few stops before we settle. A few friends of mine owe me," he threw her a flirtatious grin that made her feel uneasy, but she trusted him.

"Okay."

* * *

"Right, she might appear to be slightly...wacky. But I assure you, she's awesome!" Cackling could be heard on the other side of the door, then, a thump and a clash of several objects echoed through the forest clearing. Jet pulled Katara back quickly as the door suddenly exploded, the wooden frame flying to some place unknown. The bushy haired boy scratched the back of his head with an uncertain expression.

Where the door used to be was scorched black, but the fire diminished almost instantly – courtesy of Katara. "Thank you dear, it normally takes me a couple of hours to rebuild my hut fully, but I don't need to now!" A woman, no, an old lady stepped out. Her yellow and beige robes were so plain and elaborate at the same time it was surprising... Splashes of white and lighter grey adorned her dark grey hair; said hair was pulled into an up-do leaving no ringlets or stray hairs down.

The woman graced them with a warm smile that Katara reluctantly returned. "How are you?!" She curtsied and offered her hand to Katara, shaking the firebender's smaller hand almost aggressively. "My, gosh Jet, what a wonderful bride! I knew my predictions about you involved a woman, but who would have thought you'd have the gal to catch yourself a firebender?" Katara eyed the woman with a small smile; she was very amusing and reminded her of her Gran-Gran before she died.

"Hi, I'm Katara."

"And a princess, too!" The lady did a little happy dance that made Katara step back in fear of the craziness being contagious. Jet face-palmed and took a step in front of Katara.

"Wuzy," the old lady paused at the sound of her nickname, "She," he pointed to Katara, "Is not my wife. She's a friend and we need to stay somewhere to night to regain our strength. We're infiltrating the Capital tomorrow, so I want you and Meng to get the refugee ship to the Northern Watertribe." Wuzy glared at jet and crossed her arms in a stubborn stance.

"Jet, are you telling me that you and Katara are not together?! Oh, the joy of having powerful bending babies! They could have been a firebender, an earthbender, an air-"Jet quickly covered the old lady's mouth, throwing Katara a coy smile at the same time.

"Katara, this is Wu. People call her Aunt Wu because she's known as the accurate fortune-teller. I call her Wuzy because... Well. Because." He removed his hand and Wu started up again.

"You could've been known as Jetara throughout the world! Oh, you always ruin my dreams Jetty Betty."

Katara frowned as she realized something, "So you know I'm the princess of the Firenation?" Wuzy gave her a 'duh' look that made her 20 years younger than she probably was.

Wuzy ushered them through the burnt door, "Of course I do! The headline was the Princess and her Lover! How romantic! But then I realized it wasn't Jet, he was waterbender!" Wuzy threw her a wounded look of disappointment and Katara had to fight the rising smile itching onto her face.

"He wasn't my lover. He was the last Southern waterbender and I wanted to save him from being Firenation meat." Aunt Wu nodded. Katara found herself being seated on an orange cushion in front of a table. On the table sat a crystal ball, it was slightly blurry but otherwise sparkling. Beside it lay an open dish of ash, incense was burning a vanilla and jasmine smell that made the home feel welcoming. Out the corner of her eye, Katara watched as Jet was pushed – none too gently – out the room and taken by a girl in a pink-purple kimono. Wu gracefully sat opposite her and placed an elderly palm on the ball.

"Katara, can you light this, please?" Wu had placed another open dish out with minimal pieces of stick and tiny crumbs of coal. Katara threw a little flame at the set up. It burst into white and red fire."I want to read your future." Katara nodded; placing it into the old lady's empty palm. Aunt Wu indicated for her to place some of the ash on to the fire, so she did.

As Wuzy closed her eyes, all playfulness disappeared and Katara felt a pulsing in her hand. She looked down to see her veins in her hand become a prominent red. She could see the chi in her hands! She could see her power in a visible sense! Katara shifted in her seat as the look on Aunt Wu's face began to scare her, the older woman's lips began to move and her voice filtered through the air in paranormal levels, "Death." Katara's brows furrowed and she glanced at the door, trying to wonder if Jet was listening. "You're surrounded by death and pain. Melting water and flickering fire are going to collide and give you your ultimatum..." A confused look crossed her old features then, "You will win this," the words hit Katara hard as she remembered her fight with Ozai, how she had taken Zuko's place in the match only for her to lose her life; according to her friends. "At a cost."

"Aunt Wu, I think we should stop," Katara's voice was hesitant.

"A choice of passion and honour," Aunt Wu's eyes snapped open, "It is your choice." With that said, Wuzy removed her hands and the embers died down to nothing. She broke out in to a brilliant smile that scared Katara slightly, but if anything, Katara was also comforted by it. "Now Kat lets go get some food. I bet you're starving!" With a smile, the women stood and walked to the kitchen, Jet seemed to make himself at home; if eating two slices of the chocolate cake was any indication.

* * *

Katara slipped into the natural hot spring with a sigh of contentment, the heat of it was so relaxing and peaceful. She glance around her surroundings; looking out for any intruders. Seeing none, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. So much stress had been put on her shoulders that it was unbelievable. _And to think I will only be 15 summers in three days. _She was dreading her birthday, no-one knew about it but it still put an extra burden on her shoulders because she'd be hiding it from her friends.

_Friends. If you asked me four months ago if I had any friends, I would've said no. But now, I'm actually fighting to protect the people I cherish. _She dipped her head in to the water and exhaled, she watched as the bubbles floated to the surface. She smiled in the water and arose, her dark curls plastered to her shoulders and bone straight.

"Hi," Katara gasped and swirled to face the young girl she recognised from earlier...

_Ming? Ling? Leng? Seng? Meng! _"Hi Meng," the girl flashed a smile as she slithered in to the hot springs too, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Katara, can I ask you something?" Katara smirked.

"Didn't give me chance there, did ya sunshine?" Meng let out a little laugh and nodded in Katara's direction.

Meng sighed then, "I'm 17, Katara. And I want to know... How does it feel like to be in love?" Katara's eyes widened, she didn't expect the girl to be two years older than her! Or for the fact that she asked Katara about love?!

Katara cleared her throat, "Meng, I honestly don't know what love feels like." Meng shook her head, rearing back and pointing at her.

"Someone like you must've been in love!"

"Someone like me?" Meng sat down and crossed her arms, glaring playfully at Katara.

"Yeah. You're beautiful and strong and loyal. You're mentally strong as well as physically,"

"My chi makes me strong, Meng. And... You think I'm beautiful?"

"You honestly don't see it?" Katara shook her head, pulling her hair over one shoulder and untangling them with her fingers. "It is gestures like that; they make you seem unconfident in your womanly abilities. That attracts guys."

"Anyway, why do you want to know about love? Is there someone?" Meng nodded, a blush rising on her face. The piggy tails of hers were so innocent...

Meng exhaled slowly, "He's three years older than me, and he's strong and so handsome. He's a real charmer, too! He is such a confident person, and he loves protecting people! The only problem is that he sees me as a little sister instead of a potential lover... I want to be with him, but he likes someone else, I can see it."

"Meng let me tell you something. First of all, I'm 15. I've never been in love and I've only recently attained friends. Secondly, if you're not confident in your own abilities, how are you supposed to attract someone who's as confident as Jet?"

"I really like him though! He makes me so nervous... Hey, I never said it was Jet!" Meng's blush was so red; it almost matched the Firenation red.

Katara sent a wry smile to Meng, "It was kind of obvious." Meng huffed and looked away. "And who's this person Jet's supposed to like? I mean, I haven't seen him with any girls..." Meng sent her a pointed look and Katara's mouth formed an 'o' shape. "We've known each other a little less than a month, Meng. He couldn't like me, let alone love me. He's five years older than me, too!"

Meng looked straight into Katara's eyes and the mocha skinned girl had to quickly look away; uncomfortable with discussing boys. "I've seen the way he looks at you; the way his hand lingers on your arm when he talks to you; how close he gets when you're talking, and the smiled I rarely ever see – I have to work extremely hard to get even one of them, yet you can get one just by speaking to him. It's just there, Katara. And you seem like such a reserved person that I can't help but think that the feelings are reciprocated."

Katara glared at Meng, the older girl was surprised by how vicious she looked then, "Why did you ask me for advice about love if you already knew the signs, then?!" Meng sent her a defeated smile.

"I was just confirming a suspicion." At that, Katara growled furiously and stormed out of the water, leaving the water at wincing temperatures.

* * *

She forced the towel close to her body as she stomped down to her room; Wu had thought it funny that she and Jet shared a room because they were apparently lovers. She threw the shoji across and stepped in to the room, shutting the thing straight after. "If anything, by the time I return to the Firenation, I'll have the label of a whore!" A chuckle came from Jet and she glared up at him, her fingers were steaming and the towel was in a threat of being burnt off.

She disappeared behind the changing screen and dropped the towel. "Your little girlfriend needs to keep her nose to herself!" Another chuckle escaped the man; he was casually lying across his bed, judging by the shadow of the candle.

"Jealous?"

"Frustratingly so," the retort was so sarcastic it actually hurt to say it. Jet rolled his eyes and she could practically feel it. She pulled her binding on. She pulled out an extra bandage from the draw beside the screen and wrapped it across her stomach, covering all of her torso except her shoulders. She pulled on the baggy, blue shorts she found; they ended at the tops of her knees. Next, she pulled on the sleeveless, blue belly top. It came to her belly-button – if it was shown – and the shirt was baggy. She stepped from behind the screen and Jet's eyes widened, ecstatically surprised to see her in such curve-hugging garments. She looked like a ninja, in a way.

"We need to talk." Jet's face morphed into a serious mask then, he moved and sat up on his bed, silently indicating for her to sit next to him; she did. Her hands clenched the edges of his bed and she tilted her head down.

Jet swung his body round to face her, leaning against the rickety headboard. "Are you aware of Meng's affections for you?" Jet snorted and hunched his shoulders forward, a hand coming up to bury it in his hair; he tugged lightly and turned away.

"Of course I am. I always have been. She just doesn't seem to get it that I'm not interested in her." He dropped his hand and placed it on his shoulder; she shrugged it off and he let loose a defeated sigh, "She told you about my feelings." Katara nodded, her palms became sweaty. "Meng's always been good at observing people."

"Before we get any further into this topic... I want to talk about the day you rescued me." She watched as Jet ran another hand through his hair and she was briefly reminded of Zuko.

"When I saved you? What do you want to know?"

"What were you doing at the Southern Watertribe in the first place?" Jet met her gaze and swiped a tanned hand across his forehead.

"I just happened to be passing by."

"In the water? Without anyone seeing you?"

"Look Katara, this isn't turning into an interrogation, we've already established the fact that I saved you, okay? Can we leave it at that?" He stood up and walked past, but Katara caught his wrist and dragged him back on to the bed. He let out a grunt as he tripped over her foot and fell onto the bed. Thinking quickly, Katara pinned him down by his forearms and glared right into his darker-than-brown eyes.

"No, we can't leave it at that Jet! I want to know what's going on with you!" He leaned up, supporting himself on his elbows and was inches away from her face. He leaned in immediately and kissed her.

She was shocked.

What was going on?

She felt Jet's lips moving against her own and she stared into his closed eyes; they were squeezed shut as if he was desperate for a response. Too bad he wasn't going to get one. Pushing him away, she brought her fist back. Katara instantly hurled it across his jaw and a resounding crunch echoed through the thick silence of the room. She stood up and escaped the suffocating air.

* * *

Wuzy glanced at the two youths at her table. Meng was currently washing up dishes after their breakfast and Wu was suspicious as to why Jet was sporting a bruised jaw, not to mention it was about the average size of Katara's fist. "You kissed her, didn't you?" Jet glared at Wu with intensity so scary she shivered, and with wide eyes, she watched as he stormed off and out the door.

Katara slumped in her seat and dropped her head into her arms. "I know what you're thinking at this very moment!" Katara looked up, "_'How can my life be filled with so many complications?'_ Am I right?"

"You're so right it's actually scary. But seriously, did you have to bring it up? I'm causing enough pain as it is!" Katara sent a pointed look towards the sound of clanking pans.

"Meng has been in love with Jet since she was 15, you can't help who he loves Katara, you can only help yourself on the way the approach the matter. Surely punching Jet for kissing you was a bit drastic... I mean, a slap would've sufficed, but I guess you aren't that type to slap..."

Katara rubbed at her temples, "Even with someone else's mental torment, how can you be so straight-forward?"

"It's a curse as much as it is a gift, dear."

"I never even said it was a gift." The mumbled comment slipped past Wu with a practiced ignorance.

* * *

"Yue, I really miss Katara..." Yue looked up to see Suki playing with her red hair, a distressed look played in her eyes and it only made Yue sigh.

"Suki lets go get our girl," Suki broke in to a smile and handed Yue her belt of knives. Yue strapped the ammo around her waist and glanced in the mirror briefly, she saw a small smile appear. "Yeah, I think it's time to meet back up with Wuzy."

* * *

"Jet! Stop this right now!" Katara shouted at the man that was sitting in a meditating position, he had a permanent scowl on his face so she knew he wasn't in meditation. "Stop ignoring me! We have to go and get our friends, we need to save them! They all think I'm dead-"

"FINE! You go and save your boyfriend! Go save your friends from your fucked-up father's clutches! Go be the hero the world wants!" They were nose-to-nose by the time he finished his speech and Jet glared into her very soul.

"If that's how you feel..."

"Of course it's not how I feel! You know how I feel yet you're deliberately ignoring it!"

"Isn't that what you're doing to Meng?!" Jet's lips set in a thin line and he glared heatedly into her golden ambers. She refused to back down from the challenge. "Look, we can't mess up now, not when we've gotten this far. You went out your way of saving me and I sure as hell won't be able to fight on my own... But it won't stop me from trying." She shook her head and sent him a wounded look; he glanced down to her outstretched hand in a slightly disdainful way. "So, are you with me?"

A few minutes passed and Katara's hand still remained empty.

"Fine." She turned her back on him and mounted the offered moose-horse that was ready to gallop the last 11 miles into the Firenation. Facing him over her shoulder, Katara gave him a small smile, "Thanks for everything you've done for me; for saving me and for giving me what I needed; an eye-opener. But thanks for being my friend." With that, she pushed the creature into an immediate gallop; leaving Jet in the dust.

* * *

Aunt Wu came out then, a nostalgic smile on her face. "Good things follow her in every path she takes, but so do pain and loss. You either be there to catch her when she falls, or you let her hit the ground. It's up to you Jet, just don't leave her hanging."

* * *

Sparing a glance at the sky, Katara noticed the sun to be at its highest point. Swiping sweat off her brow, she pushed the moose-horse faster.

"Katara!" In an instantaneous halt, Katara reared the moose-horse and did a 180 degree turn. A shocked smile covered her face as she noticed not only Jet, but her friends – acquaintances – Yue and Suki galloping beside him. He sent her a pleading smile and she hugged him tightly as soon as he was close enough. After hugging Yue and Suki, they trotted ahead and left the two behind a couple of paces. "I'm always with you," she beamed at him and felt a sudden adrenaline rush.

"Yue, Suki, Jet, to the Firenation!" At rapid speeds, they galloped toward the fight waiting for them in the Capital.

* * *

"Intruders! Protect the gates!" Dismounting immediately, the four intruders took down the gate guards and led the intrusion, tying up the soldiers as they went. It was time to face the Firenation.

* * *

**What effort! I tell ya, I'm not really good at going off the original plot I planned, but this story had gone in the complete opposite direction! It's opposing me! Gah! Please review! **

**BlackTorment**


	12. A Past and a Present

**A: TLA (c) Bryke**

**A/N: I hate the fact I have no time to update! X[ My options are coming up and I've been studying for a test. But now I have a week off school so hopefully I'll be able to update twice! Maybe... Urgh. ANyway, I hope you like chapter 12, :3**

* * *

_Hold me now, 'til the fear is leaving, I am barely breathing, - _RED – Hold me now

* * *

******The Opposing Elements**

**Chapter 12 ****– the Past and the Present**

Heavy footsteps pounded down the cell corridors and all the prisoners stared in confusion; they didn't know what was going on to make such a drastic response... Aang stood up and wrapped his fingers around the thick bars; feeling for any known vibration. Toph stood next, she placed her hand on his shoulder and he could feel her questioning eyes. "Something's definitely wrong. Someone is here, who shouldn't be." Aang and Toph turned to face the lock-down cell with the fire-breath barricades. How were they supposed to get themselves out? Suddenly, screams echoed around outside the prison and Aang shivered visibly, panic shot through the other prisoners and four guards stepped in with an air of intimidation.

They walked past all of their cells without even a glance and Toph watched as they opened Zuko's door with a breath of fire. Two guards stepped in and two remained outside; the door was left open though, and Toph could see clearly into the cell. Zuko was just a shadow, however. His body was kneeling and his arms were lifted high above his head, she sucked in a breath as one of the soldiers kneeled beside Zuko's shadow and patted his shoulder. "We've found the princess. Do not tell lies to the Firelord again, peasant."

Almost instantly, Zuko's head snapped up and it scared Toph the way his eyes seemed to glow in the dark. The soldier that had leaned down yelped as Zuko back-flipped and crossed his arms, making the chains wrap around the firebender's throat; he pulled them tight then meandered around to the other soldier who was escaping. He growled at the three soldiers who were now running, but then they were gone.

* * *

Zuko stared with wide eyes as Aang came into view with a smug look on his face; he cracked his knuckles then clapped his hands together. The shackles around Zuko's wrists dropped to the floor with an echoing clang. The waterbender pushed the soldier away; his face was going a shallow purple and it was quite uncomfortable to be in his proximity because he looked as if he was going to die...

_Maybe that was a bit too much,_

"All that commotion outside and the guards coming especially to you means it's got to be true; Katara's alive!" Toph pumped her fist and turned to the shivering prisoners cowering in their cells. "You guys stay in here, if you get caught outside wandering, they'll cut you down without a second thought."

* * *

Silent footsteps skimmed over curved rooftops with practiced ease; not a sound echoed and not a stumble greeted her.

The tiles underneath her feet felt like she was walking on glass, she was close to the palace and she no courage to present the Firelord with. It seemed it had all seeped out of her after she left it in search of her best friend.

Ginger hair was pulled into a high ponytail as she somersaulted off the rooftop, landing with both feet flat and knees bent. Suki dragged her body against the cobblestone walls as guards suited in armour stroked past her position. Golden eyes scanned the other rooftops; searching for her friend and the 'prisoner'. Not a moment sooner, a two bodies gracefully descended to the ground, the Princess seemed uncomfortable; well, you'd be too if you had shackles around your wrists, pulling your arms back.

"Now comes the real hard part," Yue's voice was just a whisper as she stared into Katara's determined eyes.

Katara huffed with impatience, "Don't bail out on me now, Yue." Yue let out a sigh in shame before bringing her fist up and pummelling it into Katara's gut.

Not a grunt passed her lips.

Suki dragged her legging-clad foot behind Katara's knee and pulled her off her feet; the Princess hit the stone ground with a thud. She writhed slightly on the floor and Yue saw a brief flash of pain on the girl's face.

Not a hiss escaped.

Katara scraped her knees underneath herself; Yue cringed at the sight of a light blood patch on the floor. "Are you sure you're okay?" Suki's question went unanswered as Katara charged for the girl; only to be swiped across the face with a blade-like fan.

Not a scream greeted the air.

All the pain throbbing throughout her body went unnoticed as Katara tried desperately to not let her friends feel bad. Also, she knew Suki was going to actually try now; she had pulled out her fans, after all. Katara's feet swept across the floor as she bolted again, earning herself a punch across the jaw and a fan up her chest; effectively splitting her top layer in half. A growl slipped past her lips as she looked down at her bandaged chest.

Yue leapt at Katara with the small sword clutched in her left hand, she curved the sword around Katara's attempts of hitting her, and after she stepped past her, Yue sliced straight up her back.

It was a sort of comical; the way Katara's robe split and fell to her wrists; constricting her forearms of even more movement. Heavy footsteps greeted their ears but they didn't let it distract them; they couldn't. Clanking armour followed their actions and the three girls upped the level on their fighting. Suki released her fan into the air and it sliced at Katara's leg; whizzing in between them before returning to their owner.

A glare shot its way through Suki's head and pierced Katara's gaze; with that distraction, the girl was roughly slammed onto the floor and dragged into rope by her supposed friends. The soldiers watched on in pride as the girl was widely outnumbered. They went to take her off their hands, but Yue stopped them and ripped Katara off the ground by the hair and growled into her ear. "Sorry boys, but we're taking the credit for this one. Go and find the other three intruders." Yue didn't know how her plan had fooled the soldiers, but it happened and for that, she was grateful.

* * *

Zuko ushered Toph and Aang behind him as he held a finger to his lips; urging them to be quiet. He clutched at his chest as he watched the soldiers enter the scene he didn't want to come upon. It was a complete coincidence that he had actually came across the person he needed to see; but the situation was one he didn't favour, especially considering he couldn't intercept it. But he trusted Katara's view of people.

He knew how good she was at reading people and if her friends were attacking her, they must've had a plan. Well, he hoped so. Toph was close to breaking his forearm as he continued to restrain her; she really was worried.

Zuko almost bit his tongue when Katara was forced to her knees and shackled; he had to squeeze Toph's arm back to stop him from interfering.

Zuko gestured for Toph to fly up to the roof and get an aerial view on the situation; she complied. He whispered to Aang to get to the palace undetected; he made sure to tell him to stay put once he was under the court room.

* * *

A grunt did pass Katara's lips as her head was forced into marble flooring; the hands on the back of her head and on her wrists kept her in an uncomfortable position; but she sustained it.

She stared gold into the floor, not wanting to remember the sight she had seen; it was horrifying to say the least.

Katara fumbled Jet's face around in her brain; the way he had taken that beating off the soldiers for her; telling her to run and find her friends. She hadn't found her friends, but she had devised a plan.

After explaining it to Suki and Yue, she had told them to get on with it; the sooner they would be in the palace, the sooner she could confront her father; the sooner everything would be over.

His taunting voice seemed to reverberate through her ears and it made her scowl; her fists began to curl in the shackles.

"My lord," Yue knelt in a bow and touched her forehead to the floor, "Forgive us for deceiving you, but we had to make it believable to the traitor." She could feel the smirk in his voice, the whoosh of his robe sliding down stairs indicated that he was heading their way.

Hakoda wrapped his fingers in the plait of brown, the colour was so much like his own; was his own, and he felt slight remorse as he yanked back; her neck elongated and her golden eyes were revealed. She glared into him with such burning hatred, he let it slide.

"You know what happens to traitors," Katara's eyes narrowed, "Your execution will be held at dawn," Suki bowed next.

Her lips opened, "My lord, you don't understand how much remorse we feel for going behind your back like we did," the Firelord nodded; not paying attention to the supposed traitors bowing at his daughter's side.

"You're dismissed, I need to speak to my-the traitor." The girls exited rather quickly.

Hakoda looked down at the hand wrapped in his daughter's plait, the end was slightly frayed and split-ends were visible in chunks; she looked like a peasant. "This is the life I never wanted you to have,"

"Was it expected to get better than what I had? If so, I'd rather die tomorrow; by my own hand."

"It would've been okay if you hadn't had run after a peasant like a love-sick puppy," his voice turned into a mild growl as he pulled slightly.

Katara scoffed and she scuffled her knees to get comfortable, "There are other reasons to go than just Zuko, you know. Don't give him that much credit." Hakoda waited for her to continue, but she didn't.

"Go on,"

"Ozai," Hakoda couldn't help but visibly wince, "For starters, you don't see me dead do you? My mom's friend, Ursa, she lives in the Southern Watertribe." Katara paused, "Mom always listened to me, always comforted me and treated me like a normal person," she could see the clenching of Hakoda's fists even under the thick, crimson robe he adorned. "You; you were always on about how you would raise me to be the most powerful bender; how you would turn me into a monster and use me to run your spawn." It was as if she was mocking him, and it was getting to him.

As he opened his mouth, little puffs of smoke escaped, "You should be grateful that I took the time to raise you,"

"You killed my mother!" A hiss escaped her lips as she was brought up to her feet, only to be slammed back on her knees again. Hakoda however, wasn't anticipating the fiery kick that was sent up to his chin, he kept his grasp on her hair, and Katara severed the locks.

She has used his own knife against him; the blade he kept on his lower back attached to hit gold belt; she had drawn it and used it to escape…

It was as if it had all happened in slow motion. Katara's run up his body sent him rearing back but he still had a grasp on her hair; except, she wasn't on the other side of her hair. The Firelord watched as inches and inches of brown hair fell to the floor.

When he looked up to Katara; he could see the shock in her eyes as she held the knife on her outstretched hand… When did she escape the shackles?

She had never cut her hair; after her mom had said she looked beautiful with long hair, she had made a promise to herself never to cut it. Why did she feel as if she had stabbed someone?

Colossal roars of metal and footsteps broke them both out of their daze, and before Hakoda knew what was happening, he had just managed to dodge a white fire ball.

A growl ripped through his throat as he returned the 'greeting'; putting more power behind his.

Katara didn't even try to dodge it, instead, she pulled her palms together and blew fire through her fingertips; she looked like a dragon in disguise. Her feet parted and she was suddenly bracing herself on bent knees as Hakoda upped the ante; he took to keeping his fire pouring out of his body; Jet was right, he had gotten stronger.

Katara hissed as a ball of embers scolded her arm; her flesh turned an instant red and she gritted her teeth, she stopped her fire-breathing and sprinted at her father. Glaring eyes stared into her own and she dislodged the gaze with a manoeuvre of her feet. With a roll of her wrists, she crouched low and flipped her legs around her body; fire trailed her tattered boots as they arced. Hakoda backed off from the display but raced his fiery fists in anticipation.

"You forget that I'm the one who trained you,"

"You're forgetting that I've always beaten you," Katara threw an embered punch at Hakoda's face, she narrowly missed his cheek.

Her left hand came up behind his right shoulder and a flaming dagger materialised; Hakoda saw it and collided his fist into her ribcage, it knocked her back with enough force to push her over. He watched as her body rolled across the floor and her head hit the marble flooring with an emphasized bang; it made him cringe. Golden eyes stared as the form on the ground clenched her fists and pushed herself on her hands and knees, she stretched like a cat and clicked her back; the pain was evident in her face, Katara had obviously hit the floor really hard.

"Stand down, Katara," he watched as her short hair swung around her face lightly; it reached just passed her chin and was uneven. She stared into him like something interesting; her gaze wouldn't falter and everything seemed to stay silent. "We can put this behind us and carry on like we used to,"

"No." Her voice was just audible enough for Hakoda to hear, but he carried on.

"I'll explain to the nation that you'd been possessed,"

"No," her voice was little louder this time and he began shifting from foot to foot.

"You can become my heir again, you'll run this country when I leave this world,"  
"NO!" Her body flared to life and chi encased her whole body, white fire flexed along her body; flickering with her wrath and curling around her eyes. Her eyes. Tears were dripping down her cheeks and Katara stood; she reminded him of a cat – whatever cat you wanted her to be – and with provocation, turned into a raging dog.

Her attacks were malicious swipes and her dodges were clumsy openings, yet she maintained her un-injured phase. She did; until someone interrupted.

The fire whip sliced straight through her stomach; her eyes were wide as she stared at her father's shock. Her eyes were even watery as she collapsed onto her knees but otherwise stayed conscious. Katara's mocha hands clutched at the wound; flames were eating at her clothes as she desperately tried to quench the bleeding.

Another whip punctured her left shoulder.

Her right arm stretched out in the direction of her father as she fell, "I'm sorry, mom," into unconsciousness; bathing in a puddle of her own blood.

* * *

Her eyes drowsily slid open, the first thing she felt was support coming from her right side; the arm felt safe and comfortable but the grip was slackening. She saw a brief flash of recognizable arm supports and released a small smile. The arm bands were crimson with a huge, opal gem the colour of blood embedded in it. "S-Suki," the girl let out a small yes and immediately sat down, gently guiding Katara as she went. "You came back."

"I wasn't planning on having to-" she caught her breath, "-to fight for your rescue," Katara's brows furrowed as she could only remember having the upper hand in the battle between her father and her.

"What-" she let out a shuddering breath as she moved and blood trickled down her back and front, "-do you mean?"

"I only came to save you because Ozai interrupted."

"What?"

"He attacked you, twice. You were on the verge of death, it was lucky me and Yue managed to get you out alive." Now, Katara looked at Suki. The girl's face was littered with bruises, and her clothes were scorched. Little cuts adorned her naked arms – apart from the arm bands – and scattered bruises blemished the tan skin. Katara then looked around expectantly; searching for Yue.

"Where is she?" Katara watched as Suki held her breath and looked to the cobblestone; she brought her hands up to her face and covered her eyes.

"She-she didn't… Make it." Katara shuffled to a standing position with a frantic face.

"Then we've got to go get her! We need to save her before the Firelord does something-"

"She's DEAD Katara! Don't you get it!?" Mocha skinned hands froze; her whole body froze.

"…"

"How did it happen?" Her voice was a cold soprano.

"After you fainted, I and Yue managed to get to you. We both took on person each, I got Hakoda. After I knocked him out with my fans, I turned to help her with Ozai. Of course, Ozai was much stronger than her," Suki moved her hand away, "She told me to take you and get you to someplace safe. So I did."

"She might not be dead."

"Ozai was running at us with a katana,"

"And just as I was about to shut the doors, I watched as Yue took the blade through her neck." Katara didn't feel any of the pain her wounds were making, no. She could feel soul-deep pain. The white-haired girl who had always been bullied for her cross-breed heritage, the girl who was beaten by her father because she had been the reason behind his Love's death – her birth – and the girl who Katara had rescued. No, that was wrong, too.

Yue was the one who rescued Katara.

After her mother's death, Katara was on the brink of life and death and Yue had been the ne to tie a rope around her waist and drag her out of her own personal hell. And again, Yue had been her sacrifice.

"Let's just get out of here," with that, Katara began to walk, only to stumble and be caught by Suki.

"What about the others?"

"…"

"Katara…"

"I DON'T KNOW SUKI!" Katara pushed her away and wobbled on her own through the town, the cobblestones were eating up her blood eagerly.

"I know it's hard to accept her death but you have to realize that she would always be you sacrifice; we all would."

"I don't need to be babied. I can do this on my own, I don't need you, I don't need Yue, and I don't need Jet, Toph or Aang." Suki sighed. "And I don't need Zuko. I can bring Hakoda down by myself."

"We're not doing this because we need to, Katara," Suki took a step forward but was stopped by a spontaneous wall of flame. "We're doing this because we want to." She turned to scale the walls of the building only to realize she was completely surrounded by fire.

"No-one needs to die for me," and the fire was gone, yet so was Katara.

* * *

**Quite emotional, I know. Especially with Yue's death. She dies in the actual series - well, not dies, but you know - so I thought I'd have the same sacrifice just a different situation. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, leave me little review, please! :3**

**BlackTorment**


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